‘I have 9 lives’: Canadian diver reflects on terrifying cliff fall, overcoming near-death experience

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After a near-death experience slipping off a 22-foot diving cliff, Canadian diver Molly Carlson says she’ll celebrate the next time she gets on the diving board again.

The 26-year old was competing at the second stop of the Red Bull cliff diving World Series in Polignano a Mare, Italy, on June 28th, when the fall happened, leading her to drop out of the competition.

“Watching it again, it’s always terrifying. You don’t expect yourself to slip off a 22-metre platform after years of doing it perfectly,” Carlson told CBC Sports.

“I’m just really proud of myself for knowing what to do in the air in such a scary situation.”

WATCH | Molly Carlson joins CBC Sports to discuss traumatic slip:

Cliff diver Molly Carlson after traumatic slip during Red Bull event

Canadian cliff diver Molly Carlson spoke to CBC Sports after a ‘near-death’ experience during competition in which she slipped off a 22m platform. The professional diver told host Anastasia Bucsis about the scary experience, her amazement that her body ‘knew’ what to do, and how excited she is to compete for Canada in high diving at the world Aquatics championships beginning July 23rd.

The next morning, the diver woke up with a black bruise covering the sole of her right foot.

“I was like, okay, I need to be smart about this,” she said. “The shock is over. I am in pain. Let’s just make sure that I’m good for the world championships. And so I flew home early and I got an X-ray and it was all clear.”

Carlson, who has been outspoken about struggles with anxiety, says that her first instinct after the fall was to feel like she let down her sponsors and country.

Now, she’s rewriting her own narrative and celebrating her courage on the diving board.

“I live with anxiety, and I know that other people do too,” she said. “And for me, I’m just trying to really find deep down like, ‘You have to do this for you. You can’t be jumping off platforms for other reasons. You can’t be trying to people-please the whole time.'”

WATCH | Molly Carlson shares struggles with anxiety, and overcoming:

Cliff diver Molly Carlson talks about the importance of staying authentic

The Canadian social media star shares how being authentic helps her connect with the online community.

Later this month, Carlson will compete in Singapore for Team Canada at the World Aquatics Championships 2025.

As she prepares to return to the world stage, supportive teammates are what grounds the diver, she says.

“Knowing that I have my coach, I have my teammates, I have Summer McIntosh ready to come cheer for me at the World Championships,” Carlson said. “I think that’s the coolest thing ever, and I just can’t wait to prove to everyone that I can do this dive.”

While Carlson is gunning for the podium at World’s — becoming a world champion has always been a dream — her greater goal is to inspire those watching.

“At the end of the day, I’ve learned that success is so much more than outcomes. It’s absolutely about how much you can connect with the audience, how much you can inspire,” she said.

“It is truly through inspiration, and I hope that I am helping someone out there feel less alone.”

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