It was the 2012 London Olympics that first sparked Taylor Edlin’s interest in sports, specifically in gymnastics. In the beginning of his eighth grade year, Edlin joined a gymnastics gym. However, during his freshman year, Edlin was disappointed that he couldn’t compete at CHS, so he decided to do the next best thing – be the sole diver on the CHS diving team.
“I remember my sister saying that it’s good to be on a sports team because you get involved with more people,” Edlin said.
Looking back, Edlin recalls his formative freshman year with a smile.
That year he faced his biggest challenge: completing a reverse dive, which requires the diver to leave the board facing forward but flip backwards so that the diver enters the water facing the board.
Everyday Edlin told his coach, Michele Ferber, that he would practice the dive, but he would get on the board and freeze up.
“There was this one day where she was so mad at me because I would promise her I’d do it and I just couldn’t get it off,” Edlin said. “So I started crying and she said, ‘I don’t want to be here if you’re not going to dive because I come here to coach you.’’”
Edlin had a competition the next day, and found out that Ferber had entered him in the backwards dive, which he had never done.
“I took a deep breath, got it out, and smacked so badly but I got it off; that was the main thing. After that, I came back to practice the next day and was able to practice them, but it was three months of me standing on the board not able to get this dive off because I was so terrified of it.”
The summer after freshman year, Edlin’s work ethic started to show. He spent every available second, everyday and all summer diving. Coming back in the fall, the results were immediate.
“I came back the first day of the season and everybody who remembered me from freshman year was like, ‘Who is this?’” Edlin said.
In his first competition, Edlin qualified for state by two points with a score of 232, compared to his freshman year when his highest score was 124. Since then, Edlin has broken the school diving record an unprecedented three times.
This year, Edlin has once again qualified for state in his first meet. However, he is not alone on the team.
As the diving team’s captain, Edlin has four other teammates to support and can finally say that diving is a team sport.
Sophomore William Bermingham has enjoyed success with Edlin’s encouragement, despite this being his first season. “Taylor always pushes you to work hard, and be your best self. He’s also so motivational. At my first meet ever, he continued to make me feel good after every dive,” Bermingham said.
Coach Ferber also believes Edlin is a natural leader as the most seasoned diver on the team.
“He has gained much meet experience which has allowed him to be mentally tough,” she said.
She has watched him grow from freshman year, when he conquered his mental fear of the backwards dive.
“Diving is eighty percent mental, so having the ability to step up on the board and not let your nerves get the better of you is a real advantage,” she said. “Taylor’s confidence and expectations have improved. He expects to win and knows his rigorous training has prepared him to achieve his goals.”
Edlin’s success is a culmination of his goal-oriented nature and determination to put all of his effort into a single dive.
Not only that, but he has also fostered the next generation of divers at CHS, something that had not been available for him as a freshman. His mark on Clayton’s diving history, not just the records, will undoubtedly be remembered.