(Calgary) Caeli McKay no longer calls herself a whiner because she knows she’s not.
Posted at 3:08 p.m.
The Canadian diver has discovered her soul as a fighter who can ignore pain to excel at the highest level of her sport. The 22-year-old from Calgary dived despite suffering ligament damage in her ankle at the Tokyo Olympics last summer.
“I never felt like I was tough,” McKay told The Canadian Press. I always felt like I could do more, I could push myself more. I always said I was a whiner.
“This experience taught me that I was strong, that I could push my limits despite physical pain, mental and emotional pain. I have much better control over my emotions (now).
“I’m more aware of my resilience,” she continued.
While training outside the pool for the Olympic trials a year ago, McKay got her foot caught between a mattress and a box she was jumping from. She tore ligaments in her left ankle, compromising her ability to jump off the 10m platform.
She had already qualified for the Tokyo Olympics in synchronized diving with her Quebec teammate Meaghan Benfeito, because of their results on the international scene.
McKay couldn’t make it to the Olympic trials to earn a bye to the individual 10m platform event, but she gritted her teeth and dove with Benfeito in Tokyo. The Canadians finished just off the podium, less than a point from an Olympic medal.
McKay was riding a moped through the Athletes’ Village to avoid putting weight on his sore ankle.
“We didn’t know if she was going to be able to dive,” said Diving Canada technical director Mitch Geller. You know what ? She did it. She gritted her teeth and they did a fantastic job. »
A year later, McKay’s ankle is still a cause for concern. After finishing second at the Canadian championships last month, McKay chose to sit out the FINA Grand Prix in his hometown until Sunday.
The FINA Grand Prix Calgary is an opportunity for Canadian and international divers to put the finishing touches on their preparation for the World Championships in Budapest, Hungary, June 17-July 3.
McKay prefers to protect his ankle in anticipation of the Worlds.
“I obviously mortgaged my ankle at the Olympics. She did not heal adequately, she admitted. It was my choice to dive despite the pain, and I knew the consequences. I knew my recovery would be difficult. I knew I was going to drag this injury on for a long time, and I knew my ankle would probably never come back like it used to.
“At the moment, we are continuing the tests to determine why the pain is still so intolerable, but it has rather become a chronic pain, like tendinitis for example,” she concluded.