7 important life lessons I learned from being a Junior Olympic athlete

Looking off the end of a 10 meter platform is daunting. Throwing yourself off the platform so that you can complete the perfect dive is terrifying. But it only takes three seconds. And those three seconds taught me a lifetime of lessons that I use everyday.

At 23-years old, my longest relationship was for fifteen years with the sport of springboard and platform diving. My love story began when I was seven years old, and like any relationship, I didn't know what I was getting myself into. But I noticed that I continually take what I've learned from my commitment to the sport and apply it to everyday life.

Here are some lessons that being a Junior Olympic diver and Division 1 athlete taught me: