Profile: Commonwealth Games diver Gabe Armstrong-Scott

BY NATHAN BEUAMONT

Gabe Armstrong-Scott will be one of the youngest athletes competing at the Commonwealth Games in India this year.

Juggling training with schoolwork, and piano and violin lessons is tough, but she's determined to leave her mark on the world stage. Nathan Beaumont reports.

Mart Scott reckons she has to jump on her daughter's lunchbox to get it closed.

When 13-year-old Gabrielle Armstrong-Scott heads out the door for school, her bag could easily be mistaken for a supermarket shopping basket.

It's packed with food, including an array of fruit, muesli bars, drinks and eight sandwiches.

Sometimes the sandwiches don't survive till lunchtime, getting gobbled mid-morning to satisfy her appetite. Even before she hits the swimming pool at 6.30am she has two big bowls of cereal.

"I feel sorry for the people lining up behind me at the supermarket checkout. I'm there for a long time," Mrs Scott says.

"I spend so much money on food. It's absolutely crazy. If she had her way she would never stop eating."

Gabe is not surprised with the amount of food she packs away.

"I just get so hungry from all the training. It's unbelievable how much food I get through. Sometimes it feels like I am eating all the time."

She needs the fuel to get through the 22 hours' training each week, not to mention school work, and violin and piano practice.

The early starts have been a daily routine since she caught the diving bug as an eight-year-old, following her older brother Ollie, 18, also a national ranked diver, into the sport.

"It looked like fun so I asked Ollie's coach if I could give it a go. I really enjoyed it so I kept going and now I am going to the Commonwealth Games. It's all pretty crazy, really. I just love diving, it's so exhilarating."

Wellington Diving Club coach James Hardaker spotted Gabe's talent when she first started. And when top Chinese coach Steven Zhu arrived in the capital in 2007, he recruited her for a high-performance aquatics squad. Since then her career has surged.

"I have improved so much since Steven has been here. He made me realise I have got potential to go far."

Gabe will be 14 years and 34 days old when the Games begin on October 3. For a few days she was told she would be the youngest competitor to represent New Zealand at an Olympics or Commonwealth Games. But officials later confirmed that swimmer Monique Rodahl was 13 when she swam the 100m and 200m backstroke and 200m individual medley at the 1974 Commonwealth Games in Christchurch.

Youngest or not, coach Zhu says his charge has what it takes to be a world-class diver.

"She always works really hard and I am very excited about her future. She is mentally tough as well, which is very important. If a diver does not put the work in, they won't see the results, but Gabe, even when she is tired, still turns up and does the training.

"I push her hard, but she really responds to it. I enjoy training her and seeing her progress. Her commitment is impressive."

But getting Gabe to the top of the sport hasn't been easy for her parents. With diving being a minority sport in New Zealand, funding has been hard to come by.

Instead Mum and Dad have dipped into their wallets countless times, forking out thousands to keep their daughter's dream alive.

Mrs Scott says the financial pain is worth it. The family churns through about $45,000 a year getting Gabe to the international events that qualified her for the Games.

"If you don't pay for her to get to qualifying competitions she wouldn't be going to the Commonwealth Games. I would hate to think about how much of our income we have spent, but it's worth it."

Gabe busks whenever she has time, playing her violin on Wellington streets to help reduce the pain on her parents' wallet. Sponsorship is virtually non-existent.

"With minority sports, sponsors are really hard to find, but I keep knocking on doors just in case someone wants to help me. I find it really hard when my parents use so much of their money. I need to start getting more financial support from somewhere else."

Despite having a rigorous training schedule and homework from St Catherine's College, somehow she manages to fit in time to play the violin and piano.

"It's pretty hard to juggle it all, though I always make sure I get my homework done. My school has been really supportive, which has been a big help. I always find a way to get everything done.

"I had a day off the other day for the first time in a long time and I didn't know what to do with myself. I am so used to having a full schedule."

She doesn't see her friends as much as she would like, but it's a sacrifice that has to be made. "I see them at school, but it's hard to meet up at the weekend, but I try and find time to see them when I can."

Mrs Scott still can't work out where the sporting genes come from. Gabe's father Donald Armstrong is a first violinist with the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra while Mrs Scott is a clarinettist.

"I am the least sporty person you could think of. It still makes me laugh when I think how well Gabe and Ollie have done with their sport, considering my sporting abilities."

With selection for the Games confirmed, Gabe is turning her thoughts to preparation. Having competed at international events before, she knows the pressure and atmosphere will be intense but she can't wait to lock horns with some of the world's best divers.

"I know it will be quite intimidating with all the other athletes, but dealing with that pressure is the key. I will be pretty-well prepared."

Her training is split between diving practice and the gym. "Abs and legs are the most important areas to strengthen. I need the strength to leap high into the air. I also use trampolines so my coach can work with me on specific dives."

The early-morning starts can get tiresome, especially in winter, but her desire to be the best in the world drives her. "Some mornings I wake up and I don't feel like getting out of my warm bed, but once I wake up properly and get moving I'm fine."

Gabe will compete in the 10m platform and 1m springboard events at the Games and believes a top-six finish is possible. "The Games are an obsession for me now. It's all I am thinking about. It is really motivating me to train harder than ever. I want to do well."

She is determined the Games won't be her only taste of the big time. "I want to go to the Olympics and the world champs, so this will be a good stepping-stone.

"I am young, so have plenty of years left in me. I want to be diving for a long, long time and see how far I can go. The Games will give me invaluable experience and help me to become one of the best in the world."

Mrs Scott is still coming to terms with her daughter's selection for the Games team. She is proud of her for having the desire to chase her goal and never moaning about how hard the training is.

"She has never missed a training session. She loves it, absolutely loves it. It's a huge achievement to make the team. To start off with a dream, that is coming to fruition, it's just awesome."

Although pleased that Gabe will be on the world stage, in the back of her mind are concerns about terrorism attacks.

"The event is an easy target, but what can you do? You could get squashed by a bus crossing the road so you can't get too worried about an attack. I will just have to cross my fingers and hope she comes home with the same amount of fingers."

But Gabe is not worried. "I feel very safe. If any problems arise, then I am sure it will be dealt with. I will just concentrate on my diving."

The family hopes to be in India cheering her on, but will first have to do the sums to see whether they can afford it. "It's a huge deal for our family, so it would be awesome if we could make it over there. It's an opportunity that doesn't come by every day," Mrs Scott says.

High performance aquatics squad manager Luvaine McDonald says Gabe's selection is significant for diving. "The Commonwealth Games are an elite event in the sport of diving, with Australia, Canada and Malaysia producing some of the world's top divers. For a minority sport, her selection is significant."

Although the selection criteria for the Commonwealth Games can require a top-six ranking, she is ranked ninth in the Commonwealth.

New Zealand Olympic Committee secretary-general Barry Maister believes flexibility in Gabe's case is warranted.

"The level of competition within diving at the Commonwealth is extremely high and Olympic medallists will be among those competing at Delhi.

"These factors, combined with Gabrielle's age, rate of improvement and the fact she is competing in a non-funded sport, contributed to the selectors' decision. She is a strong prospect for the London Olympic Games and beyond."

- © Fairfax NZ News