Four years ago, Chatham’s Ava Roffel took the plunge and joined the Windsor Diving Club.

A longtime competitive gymnast, she’d been intrigued by diving for nearly a decade.

“Body awareness, flipping and being in the air were already part of me, so gymnastics collates to diving quite easily,” she said. “When I tried diving, it was a new fun challenge, like it involves some similarities to gymnastics, but in a new environment.

“I fell in love with the diving and just enjoyed the challenge of it.”

Roffel won a bronze medal at the 2024 Ontario Winter Games in only her second competition. This year, she won two golds and a bronze at the Ontario Aspire provincial championships to earn the outstanding diver award in her division.

The 17-year-old from Chatham Christian secondary school has si

See Full Page