Propulsion: Happiness, Jennifer Abel’s ultimate life goal

Diver Jennifer Abel’s career played out over four Olympic Games. She took home a bronze medal alongside Emilie Heymans in the 3 m women’s synchro at London 2012 and saw the podium once more as she put a bow on her career with a silver medal in the same event eight years later at Tokyo 2020. Over the years, the 3 m springboard specialist has medalled 10 times at the World Aquatics Championships, the most of any Canadian diver.

Abel took part in her first Olympic Games, Beijing 2008, at the age of 16, making her the youngest athlete in Canada’s delegation.

“When I went to my first Games, I had only been to two or three senior international events in the 3 m before,” Abel explained on Propulsion, Team Canada’s French language podcast. “I had no pressure. I was really in the naivety of just wanting to do well.”

Her experience at London 2012 was very different, marked by pressure from her partnership with Heymans ahead of the women’s 3 m synchro. Heymans, who had medalled in her three prior Olympics, had the opportunity to become the first Canadian, and the first diver in the world, to medal in four consecutive Olympics Games. Abel felt the stress that comes with having ambitious goals.

“I was telling myself, ‘I don’t want to be the one who makes her miss out on this opportunity.’ The night before the competition I was so anxious, I had nightmares, I didn’t sleep well.”

The two divers pulled it off in the end, securing bronze, and Abel’s first Olympic medal.

“I remember. Our fourth of the five dives was to decide if we would medal or not. It was a really difficult dive, for me especially. When I entered the water and I felt my head hit first, it was like my heart stopped. I had a hard time breathing. I kept saying, ‘We did it, we did it.’ My coach told me, “OK breathe. Relax. You still have one left. Stay focused.” So when we medalled, I didn’t feel like jumping for joy. It was really just a relief, more like “Oh phew.”

After the London Games the retirement of Heymans and Alexandre Despatie, true pillars of the team, made it such that Abel lost not only her mentors, but in a way her reference points. She says she gained a lot of maturity in the cycle leading up to Rio 2016.

“I changed coaches, I changed diving clubs. I wanted to have that competitive spirit too, to have strong performances. I got really good results.”

A calf injury, sustained two months before the Rio Games, threw a wrench in her Olympic training. Healed in time for the Olympic Games, Abel took fourth in both the individual and synchro 3 m events.

“It went really well, but I finished fourth. In the moment, I was happy because I fought to the end. I had injuries. But after, everyone was saying, ‘Oh, you must be sad.’ Wait a minute, I wasn’t sad until everyone was saying it. I thought, ‘Maybe I should be sad.’ It’s only when I got home that I realized I wasn’t doing well. I really lost that spark. I lost that love for my sport. I wasn’t smiling anymore.”

The diver was able to find her smile once more thanks to a new 3 m synchro partner in Melissa Citrini-Beaulieu. The upbeat temperament of the athlete four years her junior, experiencing her first international competitions, helped Abel to find the joy in competing again.

Abel, who turned 30 a few weeks after the Tokyo Games, had decided long before entering the competition that these would be her last Games. She wrapped up her career nicely with a silver medal in the 3 m synchro with Citrini-Beaulieu by her side.

She quickly turned her focus to her goal of becoming a mother. Her blended family grew with the addition of two boys, joining her, her husband David, and his two sons.

“I decided to dedicate a few years to my children and to my family. It was also a time for me to find myself and see where I wanted to go next. What were my priorities? What will make me happy? For me, it’s definitely being there for my children, to give them the same opportunities my parents gave me. If they want to pursue a sport, I’ll be able to make it happen, to support them without any pressure.”

Although her role as a mother is her priority, she’s also put in some work on the professional side.

“I’ve completed my training to become a Pilates instructor. I’m also a newly certified personal trainer. Shifting towards fitness could be what makes me happy. I’ve thought about this all my life, being in shape, and I’d like to show other moms that it’s possible to have 30 minutes to yourself, and to make the concept of feeling good in your body accessible to all women who want it.”

Now, with the springboard behind her, Jennifer Abel is free to pursue the lifelong goal that helped her end her diving career in a positive way: being happy.

To listen to Jennifer Abel’s full episode, check out Propulsion wherever you get your podcasts.