Diving In With Emily Francis
With the excitement of another Games still alive it’s time to look to the next generation of divers that are on the road to LA. So it is with great excitement that we introduce Queensland diver Emily Francis to the Funkita F-Team.
Emily started diving in 2021 when she was 12 years old. She instantly fell in love with diving when she went to a trial day and was in awe of the incredible talent displayed by the senior divers. She begged her parents to allow her to start diving, with the dream of being one of those divers one day.
Three years later and Emily is training 8 times a week at Sleeman Sports Complex in Brisbane. Her training schedule consists of strength and conditioning, dryland, water, and weights training in the gym all fitting in around her Year 11 studies. Like all young athletes, Emily has learnt to juggle an extremely busy schedule, making sacrifices to keep her dream alive and relying on the support of her school and family.
The hard work has so far paid off for Emily having won gold for Australia in Bergen, Norway last year. However, the journey hasn’t been easy, as she has battled health challenges which have impacted her ability to train and compete. She is recovering well and views her low points with a champion mentality,
“The lows in my journey so far, have taught me many invaluable life lessons and deepened my appreciation for the ability to wake up and pursue what I love each day.”
Emily is focused on making the Australian team competing at the Junior World Championships in Brazil later this year with the bigger goal of making the Olympic and Commonwealth Games teams.
We asked Emily 5 quick questions to get to know her a little better.
FK: Do you have any pre-race rituals that you swear by?
EF: I like to visualise my dives and do some meditation by myself. On the way to competitions I listen to upbeat and motivational music.
FK: What meal do you love, but can't tell your coach Edwin Jongejans you indulge in every now and then?
EF: Anything Italian especially a big bowl of pasta or pizza.
FK: If you could compete anywhere in the world, where would it be and why?
EF: I want to compete in New York because that is my dream place to go especially during Christmas time.
FK: What are your main interests away from training and competing?
EF: I like to sing, I take singing lessons. I also play the piano and I like to cook meals and bake yummy desserts.
FK: Do your parents or siblings share any special sporting talents?
EF: My mum used to swim and play tennis, my dad loved cycling and mountain biking and my sister used to do gymnastics and acrobatics but now she coaches gymnastics.
We are exciting to be on Emily’s journey and you can follow her here @emilyalicefrancis. And follow us at @funkitaswimwear