By Matt Browning
Considering all she has been through, just being able to compete in diving again is something Centre’s Olivia Carlson is thankful for.
“I suffered a severe neck injury in July of 2023 while doing gymnastics,” Carlson said. “I was attempting to learn a new skill and got lost in the flip, causing me to scorpion (land on my face while my momentum was carrying me forward). This caused a dislocation in my C5 vertebra. I had surgery to get a plate and two screws put in the front of my neck, and a fusion of my C5 and 6 vertebrates in the back.”
Nine months after her injury, she began diving again, but her perspective had changed.
“The hardest part was regaining confidence in my ability to perform each dive,” Carlson said. “I had a successful diving season by finishing third in the state diving meet just nine months after surgery.”
This season, her senior campaign, Carlson is challenging herself even more in the spring.
“Heading into the 2025 diving season, I have had to face the challenge of dual sporting diving along with track and field,” Carlson said. “I attempt to split my time evenly between the two sports.”
There is a specific fundamental Carlson has been working on as she has her eyes set on a top five finish at state.
“One thing I have been wanting to improve on is my use of the springboard,” Carlson said. “When I am patient and work with the springboard instead of against it, the dives are much easier to complete.”
