How Seneca Valley’s Ali Waters’ diving record is ‘constant reminder of how good I know I can be’
It's not always easy to live up to your own standards.
For Seneca Valley senior diver Ali Waters, a UNC-Wilmington commit, her benchmark stares down at her from the walls of the Raiders' aquatic center. She plans on improving it and is taking a patient approach toward doing so.
“I always think about being 1% better, if you can, every single day,” Waters said. “That’s just how I’m wired. I’ve never really thought about not trying to be better each day. ... It just comes down to the discipline.”
Last season, Waters accomplished her goals of making states — placing fourth with a 384.50) — breaking Seneca Valley's six-dive pool record, which currently sits at 306.8. She's noticed a difference in chasing herself as compared to tracking down Ashley Felitsky’s mark of 294.2.
“I think that it’s better that way, because there’s the internal motivation of trying to beat my own self,” Waters said. “It’s just fun to be able to look at my name on the wall and be like, ‘Oh yeah, let me see if I can get it this time again.’ It’s just a constant motivation that I have and a constant reminder of how good I know I can be.”
When it comes to bettering her own record, Waters isn’t circling any date on the calendar. She doesn’t want to overthink and put any pressure on herself, especially since she’s also working on new dives “in my reverses, and hopefully upping my degree of difficulty in some of my twisters,” she said.
“If it happens, it happens,” Waters said. “I just do my best every time. That’s all I can do.”
She also acknowledges no one can be at their best every day.
“There are definitely some days where maybe I didn’t get a good night’s sleep or I didn’t drink enough water the day before and I feel dehydrated,” Waters said. “I think I try and stay in the most positive mindset that I can be whenever I’m in that state, because I know some of my best meets (have come) when I’m sick or not feeling the best in general.”
Waters is leaning toward studying to be a coastal engineer in college, which involves building beach infrastructure and the restoration of beaches.
“It’s by the beach, and it’s not like Pittsburgh and I’ll see the sun actually every day,” Waters said. “And it’ll be pretty warm most of the time, so hopefully that’s gonna boost my mood, too.”
