Diving for the Gold {A Tom Daley Love Story}

It was a typical day at the Southampton Diving Academy. The chlorine filled pool was calm and reserved, only a few waves gently crashing against one another from other fellow swimmers, who were anxiously preparing for their near competitions. As always, the shouts and complaints of the coaches and athletes were bouncing among the air, their muffled voices and the splashes of the water causing a constant uproar.

Young children who finished their lessons with their coaches stood around as they watched some of the leading divers in the world practice among the high platforms. Amazement and awe were clearly written on their faces, watching as they gracefully dove into the sparkling water.

Parents and spectators were also scattered across the bleachers, watching for nothing more than to catch a glimpse of some of the most talked about divers in the UK. And after surveying the many divers, they found some hope spread through their body in hope that one of these athletes might win a medal for their country in the 2012 Olympics.

One of the most talked about Olympians took her spot on the high platform, clearly aware of all of the eyes that were currently on her tiny frame. She cleared her mind of all thoughts, only focusing on the dive she was about to perform.

Taking a deep breath through her nose, she lifted her arms over her head, preparing herself for the long trip down into the chilly water. Bending her knees, she pushed her body off the platform into a tight ball, spiraling elegantly within the air before colliding with the water.

She quickly resurfaced, flipping her hair from her eyes as she took a deep breath of the humid pool air. She immediately picked up on the proud cheers coming from the spectators, bringing a smile to her face.

Paddling to the side of the pool, she placed her elbows on the edge of the pool hoisting herself so that she could glance at her coach. She immediately regretted it, spotting an unpleased frown on his face.

“You are still pulling your head up before you land,” he criticized, rubbing his gruff chin with his hand. “If you don’t tuck your body in closer during your 2 and a half pike, you are going to injure yourself.”

The brunette diver let out an irritated sigh, sinking her body into the chilly water that engulfed her small frame with its wet substance.

“You keep saying that, yet I have still failed to injure myself.” The diver argued, lifting her petite frame out of the pool and approaching her coach. The coach fought back a smirk, already expecting this type of stubbornness from his teenage student.

“And despite lecturing you on a daily basis, you have still failed to land that dive properly because you are too stubborn to correspond with my teachings.” The brunette simply ignored his comment, crossing her arms over her chest. “Now start from the beginning. I want a 1 and a half inward tuck.”

The beautiful diver groaned, hanging her head in exhaustion. “But it is past noon and I have been out here since eight in the morning. I need to eat some lunch.”

“If you are wanting to win a gold metal, you need to dedicate lots of painful and exhausting hours towards your training.” Christian Gonzalez, the coach of the young diver, explained as he took a sip of his water bottle. “Even if that means waiting a few hours for lunch.”

“If I am not well-feed I will not have enough energy to perform my dive correctly,” she whined back, pouting like a young child. And to her coach, that is exactly what she was. Despite how much talent the young woman possessed, she was still a cranky teenager, being extremely stubborn and ornery.

“I don’t get paid enough for this,” he mumbled under his breath, rubbing his temples with his index fingers. He pointed towards the diving board, a stern look back on his face. “Mia, this is not up for negotiation. Do the 1 and a half inward tuck. Now.”