Deep diving with Sam Fricker

New South Wales Institute of Sport (NSWIS) scholarship athlete Sam Fricker boasts a combined social media following of almost 10 million people, while his content accumulates billions of views each year. However, the 24-year-old – who allows his followers to learn more about diving by highlighting his flops alongside his top performances, and who interviews a range of people from prime ministers to World War II veterans, and to heavyweights of Australian business and commerce on his podcast Diving Deep – explained to NSWIS Media how a serious injury reaffirmed where sport ranks on his priorities.

NSWIS: What did your success at the Australian Championships mean to you after returning from injury?

Sam Fricker (SF): Getting that gold medal, and winning the Southern Cross earlier this year, meant a lot. It’s my first season back after a pretty serious back injury where I was dealing with three bulging discs, so to be able to come back and perform at that level was really rewarding. When you’re deep in rehab and training, there are a lot of ups and downs and plenty of uncertainty. Sometimes all you can do is trust the process and keep showing up every day. Winning those events gave me confidence that the work we’ve been putting in is paying off and that we’re heading in the right direction. More than anything, it reinforced my belief in the team around me and the process we’ve followed throughout my recovery. To see that turn into results was incredibly satisfying.

NSWIS:  You mentioned your back injury, how much was your patience tested as you fought to return?

SF: The three bulging discs in my lower back caused severe pain down my legs and into my hip. At its worst, I couldn’t even sit comfortably in a car, and simple things like jumping would send a sharp electrical pain through my back. The pain was often an eight, nine or even ten out of 10, and anti-inflammatory medication wasn’t helping. It tested my patience more than anything else I’ve faced in sport. There were months where I wasn’t improving, and honestly, there were times when I lost hope and wasn’t sure if I would ever dive again. Throughout that period, my coach Joel Rodriguez worked closely with me to explore different solutions and approaches. Eventually, through rehabilitation, rest, a cortisone injection and time, things started to improve and I was able to gradually build back into training and competition.

NSWIS:  How did it feel to be back on the board and diving again?

SF: We’re coming towards the end of my first competition season back after injury, and it’s been a really rewarding experience. I remember my first competition back was a Metro competition and I was incredibly nervous. Even as an Olympic athlete, you build momentum through competing regularly, and when you’ve been out of the sport for a long time, it takes a while to find your rhythm again. After that first competition, I won another event in December, then the Synchro Camp competition and later the Southern Cross Championships. Each competition helped build my confidence and reinforced that the work we were doing was paying off. Being back on the international circuit and travelling the world to compete has been exciting and challenging. Competing reminds you exactly what you’re training for.

NSWIS:  What did your time on the sidelines tell you about your passion for diving?

SF: My time on the sidelines really tested my passion for diving. When you’re sitting beside the pool for months doing rehab, riding a bike for hours every day and watching everyone else train, you start thinking, ‘this isn’t what I signed up for’. One of the hardest parts was watching my competitors Continue to improve while I felt like I was standing still. What I learned was that while I didn’t choose the situation, it was my responsibility to deal with it. As difficult as it was, I focused on taking things one day at a time and doing the daily work required to move forward.

NSWIS: Sum up  NSWIS’s perform at the Championships?

SF: NSW has one of the strongest diving programs in the country. We’re fortunate to be led by coaches like Chava Sobrino and Joel Rodriguez, who bring an incredible amount of experience to the team. As a team, we performed really well at the Australian Championships and came away with a large number of medals, including plenty of gold medals. At the same time, I think there’s still plenty of room for us to continue improving.

NSWIS: Provide an insight into the importance of NSWIS’s coaches Joel and Chava. What makes them special?

SF: Chava and Joel have both competed at the Olympic level themselves and have gone on to coach world champions and Olympic champions. What they bring to the pool deck is a wealth of knowledge, experience and perspective that we lean on constantly as athletes. Their support has been a huge part of the success of the NSW program over many years. Chava was instrumental in building the program into what it is today, and both he and Joel have helped create an environment where athletes can thrive and reach their potential.

NSWIS: Your social media is going great – a combined total of 9.5 million followers – but where does it rank compared to diving?

SF: Social media is really my work outside the pool. I genuinely enjoy creating content and building the business side of things. Even when I’m posting videos about diving, it feels like an escape from the sport because I’m focusing on different skills such as content creation, editing, strategy and growing the business. Having something outside of diving gives me balance and allows me to come back to training with more energy and focus. That said, diving is still what structures my life. I train morning and night, travel when competitions require it, and my schedule is built around being an elite athlete.

NSWIS: Who is the most interesting person you have interviewed and why?

SF: We’ve interviewed a lot of incredibly interesting people on the podcast, so it’s hard to narrow it down to one. Andrew Forrest was fascinating because of what he’s built in business and how down-to-earth he was. Reg Chard left a huge impression on me because hearing first-hand stories from a World War II veteran made me appreciate the sacrifices made for our freedoms. Scott Morrison was fascinating to speak with about leadership and decision-making during COVID. Valerie Taylor’s stories about shark conservation and her experiences filming real shark sequences for the movie Jaws were also incredible. Every guest has a unique perspective, and I always learn something new.

NSWIS: What’s next?

SF: The focus now is building towards both the LA 2028 and Brisbane 2032 Olympic Games. At the moment we’re in Los Angeles on a training camp, which could potentially become one of our training hubs leading into the Olympics. From here, we’re heading to Bolzano for an international competition. The goal is to keep training hard, continue developing new dives, test them in competition and keep improving against some of the best athletes in the world. Outside of diving, I’m continuing to grow my content creation and business interests.

NSWIS:  LA 2028 – is everything geared towards that?

SF: Everything we’re doing at the moment is geared towards LA 2028. Our training, competition schedule and overall strategy are all focused on giving us the best possible chance of qualifying for and performing at those Olympic Games. I’ve never been more aware of the amount of planning that goes into trying to make an Olympic Games. Working with Ady Hinchliffe and the team at Diving Australia, we’ve spent a lot of time understanding the new Olympic qualification pathways and what we need to do to put ourselves in the best position to earn those spots for Australia. Every training session, competition and decision is being made with LA 2028 in mind.

Daniel Lane, NSWIS