IT is hard to put a label on 14-year-old Maggie Grey; yes, she is an exceptional diver who just won gold for Australia in Brazil, but the Thornland local could also be pinned as an entrepreneur.
Maggie started her own business selling chocolate- covered berries to help her on the journey to Rio de Janeiro, where she competed at the World Aquatics Junior Diving Championships last weekend.
She is now Junior World Diving Champion, after executing an impressive performance in the Girls 14-15 10m diving platform event.
Maggie finished the finals event in her category with a score of 359.70, outclassing the Canadian runner-up Lila Gokiert by a considerable margin of 11.90 points.
The Aussie Athlete Fund’s $1 Million Challenge provided Maggie and 99 other emerging athletes with the financial support and mentorship necessary to raise $10,000 to cover training and competition costs.
“It really helped drive me with the fundraising and I’ve learned a lot about sponsorship,” Maggie said.
Having raised $11,000, it is safe to say the young athlete smashed it. As an added bonus, Australian company Kozii jumped on as a sponsor to supply Maggie with all her swimwear.
Maggie began her sporting journey on dry land as a gymnast when she was eight, but decided to pursue her green and gold dreams as a diver at 10, where she has excelled.
Heading back to the Redlands as a world champion, it is expected that Maggie will continue to make a splash on the world diving stage.
“The big dream is LA 2028 and Brisbane 2032. I’ve always wanted to go to a Games and thought diving would be the best pathway for me. I honestly just love the adrenalin,” she said.
