High school student Kate Miller started diving at age six. She accompanied her mother to a free swim at the Walter Baker Pool in Ottawa where she witnessed a lifeguard do a flip off the diving board. Even though she was too young to go on the boards, Miller sneaked her way on the springboard and daringly tried to execute the same dive she saw. Her mother, petrified, decided it was best to get her into diving lessons.
Miller also played soccer until age 11 before diving became her fulltime sport. She finds diving less repetitive in training because there is always something new to learn and enjoys developing new dives every year. She says the degree of difficulty always increases and there seems no end to what she can achieve.
She currently trains on both the springboard and platform. She started diving off the 10-metre in 2019 and while it took a few tries to get accustomed to the height, she enjoys the event.
In competition, Miller won the gold medal on platform and silver on one metre at the 2017 Junior Pan Ams. She also loves the experience of travelling to different countries and experiencing different cultures and watching her competitor’s train.
At the 2016 Junior Nationals she swept gold in all three events and repeated the feat in 2018 at a Junior Invitational in Plymouth, England.