Photo courtesy of Finnley Senese

Communications freshman Finnley Senese performs a dive at the Calypso Bay water park in a Dreyfoos swim and dive match against Seminole Ridge on Sept. 30. A back injury in 2012 suspended Senese’s ability to dive for some time, but she is now working on getting back to her previous performance level.

Communications freshman Finnley Senese is a competitive diver on the Dreyfoos swim and dive team, but an injury in 2012 has put her on the road to recovery to get back to diving. Her injury, although not life threatening, was in her back. Senese was practicing one of her dives when the accident happened. The injury left her paralyzed in the water.

“I was going for a reverse 3-1/2 off the three meter [diving board] when I slipped on the board and smacked my back on the end of it,” Senese said. “I couldn’t move because I was in shock and had to be pulled out of the water by a lifeguard.”

Senese hasn’t been able to return to the level of performance she was at before her injury, but she has been practicing hard and staying optimistic in the hopes of returning to nationals.

“Honestly I don’t know if I will ever be as good as I was,” Senese said. “I was a three time national champion, it’s going to take a lot of work to get back to where I was, but hopefully I’ll be able to get there. I’m focused, this is my life right now. I’m working harder than ever before to get back to nationals.”

The incident forced her to take a break from diving for a year so she could recover.

“I [displaced] my vertebrae, meaning that I didn’t actually break [my back] but I had major lower back issues for almost a year after,” Senese said.
“I hurt myself during a practice, I was only 11.”

Not only does her back affect her diving, it also affects her everyday life. Doing something as simple as walking can put Senese’s back in pain.

“[My back] does kind of hinder my everyday life, sometimes it hurts to lay down and if I walk for long periods of time it gets sore. When I go to practice or large meets I often have to physio tape my back just to keep the muscles in line so they don’t strain,” Senese said.

Senese wants to take her passion for dive into the future, hoping colleges will recognize her accomplishments as a diver.

“I’m already looking for possible scholarship opportunities, and hopefully if I do well in districts I’ll be on their radar for my future years at Dreyfoos,” Senese said.

Even though her back injury put a hold on her diving career, Senese has been able to move past the accident that happened three years ago and look towards her future in diving. This swim and dive season at Dreyfoos, Senese qualified for states.