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Diver moves up the ladder■McArtonprepares to take on world in upcoming meetevent in the World Aquatic Games in Ecuador. Later she was second in the same event in the CommonwealthBy Mafvitt McDonaldIt isn’t fay accident that she is InWinnipeg. It was a family decision which sent 16-year-old Jennifer Lynti McArton here two yeafs ago to become this city’s rapidly rising star on the international diving scene.With the love and blessing of her Toronto family* she will test her skill and prowess against Some of the top divers in the world at the i2-coufttiy Give Canada ’84 meet* which wilt be held at the Paii-Am Pool* Ftlday through Sunday.“It was a difficult decision to make in sending her to Winnipeg* but it had to be done,” McArton’s mother* Eliza* beth, said yesterday in a telephone conversation from her home in Don Mills, Ont.Fool time, coaching, responsibility and Jennifer’s well-being and schooling Weighed heavily in reaching that decision*Mere she lives in dose proximity to the Pan-Am Pool, shares a suite with diver Deanne McClenaghan and assistant coach Jayne McDonald, is under the watchful guardianship of her trusted coach Jim Lambie and holds a 75-80-per-cent average in Grade 10 at . Grant Park High School.“Pool time was difficult to obtain and Jennifer needed more time to practise than was available in Toronto,” said Mrs. McArton, who is a teaching guide with the Royal Ontario Museum.Irregular scheduleTwo years ago, Jennifer was training with the small Markham Driving Club.“To stay here would mean she would have to practise out of several pools in the Toronto area on an irregular schedule,” said Jennifer’s moth-er*“At the same time an opportunity opened for Jim, her coach, to go to Winnipeg as a professional. It seemed Winnipeg offered access to a better facility and program with the Pan-Am Divers.”For four years Lambie had coached the young McArton girl to national titles on the one-metre springboard, three-metre springboard and 10-metre tower events in the age groups of under-10, through 11-12 and to the 13-14 class.As a volunteer coach he described the situation as being impossible in the Toronto area and that a decision to move into a professional position in Winnipeg had to be made.“It was dollars and cents, but bringing Jennifer along was paramount to that decision,” he said.lt; “Jennifer was determined to continue diving and. to be with Jim,” said her mother. “We’ve known Jim for a long time and trusted him implicitly.“With all things considered, my husband (Ron), Jennifer, Jim and I made the decision. Jennifer would go with Jim to Winnipeg.”In the short time she-has made Winnipeg her home, Jennifer has continued to excel at all levels of her development. While springing to new heights off the diving boards, she maintains the high scholastic standards she had achieved while jiving with her parents and has assumed thematurity of a much older, independentadolescent.In 1982, as a 14-year-old, she was a finalist in the open 10-metre towerGames in Brisbane, Australia.Last year,.using a more sophisticated list of dives, she finished sixth in the FINA world championships in Woodlands, Texas. That same year she won the three-metre springboard and placed second on the one-metre springboard at the world age-group championships in Hamilton, New Zealand.“New Zealand was beautiful,” she said. “There were sheep roaming beside the pool and I brought back a sheepskin.”While she's fond of travelling, she admits to being homesick occasionally.“Whenever I get lonesome, I just phone home,” she said. “I don’t phone collect and my average phone bill isabout $50 per month,”■As she is a C-earded national athlete, Jennifer receives $400 a month to defray expenses for living away from home.“That money helps, but my parents must also help,” she said.*Accepts responsibilityHowever, Jennifer shoulders some of that responsibility.“Meets and club operation expenses must be met and I help the club all Ican.”Pan-Am Divers receive most of its funding through bingo..“We all work the bingo parlors,”Jennifer McArton works diligently in and out of poolremarkable young lady.“Everything has worked out well. The parents have been supportive and comment on how independent Jen-she said. “That’s not as easy as it sounds.“They’re smokey and it’s like standing in a fog for five hours. But it’s our lifeblood and everyone from divers, parents, brothers and sisters must help,” .Pitching in, lending a helping hand and sharing the workload have become a way of life for McArton.“Deanne, Jayne * and I share our expenses, cooking and household duties. We worked out an arrangement and it works.”The trio moved here two years ago and live in the suite above coach Lambie.“Jennifer is an ideal athlete,” said McDonald. “She does what she’s told, never questions you and is really anifer has become.”McArton’s mother said she had noticed a gradual change.Happy in the service“She’s more independent and responsible. But the most important thing is that Jennifer is happy in what she is doing,”William McKee, principal at the Grant Park High School, echoed those words.“Jennifer is a very responsible and mature student,” he said. “She maintains a high academic standard and is involved in other school activities.”She took ufa cross-country fuftftlng inthe fall. As the season progressed sheimproved to finish first in the provincials.“She asked if she could run,” said Lambie. “I told her it would be a good pre-season conditioning program.“talk about a natural athlete. She steadily improved and won the thing. I couldn’t believe it.”Winning and moving around have been ah integral part of young Jennifer’s life. 'As pricing manager of IBM, her father Ron moved around Eastern Canada.While Jennifer was both in Ottawa, her 18-year-old sister Cheryl, who is a member of the Canadian Amateur Swimming Association national team, was bom in Toronto. Her young broth* efs, David, IS* and John, 9, were born in Saint John, N.B., and Montreal, respectively..With the family on the move* it was in Montreal that Jennifer got her feet wet.“Like Cheryl, I started out in competitive swimming when I Was six years old,” said Jennifer, who was a member of the Pointe Claire Swimming and Diving Clubs. “It was at Pointe Claire that I took a leam-to-dlve class and liked it.”Her diving coach at that time was Don Webb, who was here 14 years ago when Bev Boys, Nancy Robertson and other members of the national women’s team operated from the Pan-Am Pool.“When we moved to Toronto, Don recommended we join his nephew’s chib,” said Jennifer.Webb’s nephew was Lambie. Following in her older sister’s footsteps, Jennifer was establishing Ontario age-group swimming records.However, she also was excelling in diving and a decision had to be made about her budding athletic career.‘Always a conflict9“There was always a conflict,” said Jennifer. “It seemed that when a swimming meet was on, so was a diving meet. So I decided to specialize and become a diver.”That decision was made when she was in Grade 5 and she still lives by that decision.It is a decision which has seen her spring from prominence on the national age-group scene to being a challenging force in the international arena.“ Jennifer made two big decisions in her life,” said Lambie. “Her first was to choose diving over swimming. The second was to move here.”In both of those decisions, Lambie has been a key figure.“There has to be trust between a diver and her coach, Jennifer said. “I like the way Jim coaches. I know he understands me and I know him.“He doesn’t ask me to do anything I can’t do.”One of his requests was to perform a new, innovative inward 3^ somersault in tuck position. It's a dive which carries the highest degree of difficulty — 3.2In 1980, that dive.was not listed on the FINA list of dives permitted in competition.“Jennifer’s doing it in the Dive Canada meet, said Lambie. “It’s a beauty and she’s doing it because she’s a remarkable athlete. If she decides to do something, she’ll do it.”
Newspaper Details
Winnipeg Free Press
Winnipeg, Manitoba, CA
Tue, Apr 24, 1984
Page 68
Full Page
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