After doing gymnastics for over 12 years, Annalise Forster, sophomore, decided to try something new. Her friends suggested that she try competitive diving.

 “It was painful to do gymnastics due to injuries,” Forster said. “With diving, I could apply the same things I learned from gymnastics but not mess up my shoulder or knee.” 

While the sports may seem different, the skills are very similar. Gymnastics provided her with many of the skills so she would not have to start from the beginning in diving.  

“I really enjoyed doing the front-twist when I did gymnastics, so doing it in the dive came very easy to me,” Forster said. “Inwards is really fun because you jump backwards and flip forwards. You never know if you are going to hit the board or not, but it is really fun to do.”

When doing routines such as inwards, it is vital to trust yourself, so you don’t get hurt and enjoy the sport. Being passionate for diving has led her to be part of a competitive team and continuously work to improve her technique. 

“I dive with the City of Clayton,” Forster said. “They are so nice and they have a pre-team and a diving team. I am working on getting over to the select diving team.”

Her sister, Isabel Forster, senior, believes that Annalise’s transition to diving expressed her love for gymnastics because instead of quitting, she wanted to try something that she could manage with her injuries.

“She definitely works hard in both of these sports and because she’s tried ‘a new version’ of gymnastics shows that she still loves it, just wanting a change in pace and environment,” Isabel said. 

To Forster, the key to being a competitive athlete is believing in yourself and then the rest will fall into place.

“It is all about trusting yourself and enjoying the sport,” Forster said. If you don’t enjoy the sport you are not going to want to be there.”