Getting to know Melissa Wu

Melissa Wu is a three time Olympic and Commonwealth Games athlete who first broke onto the Diving scene at the age of 14.

Excelling quickly, Melissa took out the 2006 Australian Open Water Diving Championship, propelling her into the Australian Commonwealth Games Team where she promptly claimed a Silver Medal.

Going from strength to strength, Melissa took another Silver in 2008, this time on the Olympic Stage in Beijing.

A Commonweath Games Gold in 2010 and Australian Dive Captain at the Rio Olympics have made Melissa a household name. Now aiming to make the 2018 Commonwealth Games Team before turning her sighths onto the Tokyo Olympics, Melissa is a true star of Australian sport.

As Precision Athletica’s latest ambassador athlete, wer’re thrilled to announce her and excited to work with her and her team. We caught up with Melissa recently to find out a bit more about her story so far.

PA: How did you get into diving

MW: My older sister was a swimmer and she used to race a lot at Sydney Olympic Park. Every time I went there to watch her race I would wander down to the diving pool and watch the divers train. From the first time I saw diving I wanted to try it and I eventually convinced my parents to let me start.

PA: Top sporting achievement to date

MW: Olympic Silver medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

PA: How much and what type of training do you do per week

MW: I train 10 sessions a week, which are split into two mornings a week of dryland training, three mornings of strength and conditioning, and five afternoons per week of diving training in the pool. All up I train about 25 hours per week.

PA: Tell us about your short and long term goals

MW: My short term goals are to qualify for the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games and my long term goals are to represent Australia at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.

PA: What’s the best and worst part of being a sportsperson

MW: The best part of being a sportsperson is definitely traveling overseas and representing Australia at competitions. While we don’t often get to see much when we travel, it’s a huge honour to compete for my country and it’s a lot of fun catching up with diving friends from other countries and hanging out with my Aussie teammates.

The worst part of being a sportsperson would also have to be traveling, ironically. While traveling to compete is amazing, it’s quite difficult to juggle study and other commitments around these dates and can make it difficult to complete a degree or have a job.

PA: How would you describe the Olympic experience

MW: The Olympic experience is something that’s difficult to explain because it’s not just the physical and emotional experience at the Games, but also the many hours of training, the sacrifices and qualification trials that go into making it there. That moment when you represent your country at the Olympics is such a rewarding moment though and receiving your first Australian Olympic uniform is one of the most exciting and proud moments I’ve ever had in my life.

PA: Tell us about the Olympic Village

MW: The Olympic village is such an exciting and overwhelming place and it’s amazing to see and meet so many athletes from other sports and countries. The best things about the village would have to be meeting famous athletes and having access to unlimited food 24/7 in the dining hall (including McDonald’s).

PA: What’s comps are comig up for you

MW: My next major competitions are Commonwealth Games Trials in December and the World Series competitions starting in March 2018.

PA: How do you handle the pressure/nerves of competitions

MW: Dealing with nerves and pressure in competition is always difficult, especially at big events like the Olympics and Commonwealth Games, but it’s something that gets easier with experience and age. I also see a psychologist to help me improve my mindset and to overcome the pressure of competition.

PA: Do you prefer synchronized or individual diving

MW: When I was younger I used to always prefer synchronized diving, but in the last few years I’ve started to really enjoy competing individually too and haven’t been doing much synchro. But I’m looking forward to the next few years of competing in a relatively new synchro partnership and competing in both individual and synchro events.

PA: Any advice for young and aspiring athletes

MW: My best advice would be to always do what you love and work hard to achieve your dreams. There will be ups and downs along the way but stay positive, learn from your experiences and never give up.

PA: What do you know now that you wish you knew at the start of your career

MW: With many years of experience, I’m now able to relax more and enjoy competitions. I wish that when I was younger I was able to enjoy my experiences more instead of being so focused on performance and results all the time.

PA: Why did you choose Precision Athletica

MW: I chose Precision Athletica because they offer a number of services that are crucial to my performance as an athlete, such as Physiotherapy, Strength and Conditioning, and Dietetics. Having all of these services in one place is really convenient and makes it much easier having everyone in my support team working together.

PA: How will you benefit from working with Precision Athletica

MW: As an athlete who has been competing for more than 10 years, I have a lot of injuries and also have significantly reduced mobility. I’m looking forward to working with Precision Athletica to improve my mobility and movement patterns, which will in turn improve my sporting performance.

PA: Thanks for your time and welcome to the Athletica family!

It’s great to have Melissa as a team member at Precision Athletica and like all of our athletes, we’re 100% committed to helping her make the most of her talents.

Make sure you say hello to her when you see her training and if you’re not yet a Precision Athletica athlete but would like to fast track your athletic development, get in touch and start your journey with us today!