Ellie Cole on Self-Doubt, Stanford, and Life Beyond Sport 

After a breakthrough 12 months that included an Olympic debut in Paris, and a recent fifth-place finish at the Diving World Cup Super-Finals in Beijing, New South Wales Institute of Sport (NSWIS) scholarship holder Ellie Cole is preparing for a leap of a different kind – one that will take her far beyond the 10m platform. 

Later this year, the 18-year-old will move to the United States to join Stanford University as a student-athlete, where she’ll compete in collegiate diving while studying. While it’s a golden opportunity, Cole said the decision hasn’t come easy. 

“Post-Paris, it was really hard to come down,” Cole reflected. “I didn’t really feel it [at first] because I still had my schooling, so everything was still high intensity.” 

“Trying to build myself up to [a standard] that I [was] proud of was really hard, and it took a long time. It was a mental struggle because I’d never really [experienced that before].” 

After a performance in Mexico that didn’t meet her expectations, Cole faced her first real low in diving, describing it as “going from ground zero again”. 

“I’d never had an international competition that didn’t meet my standards,” she said. “After Mexico, where I didn’t perform how I would’ve liked, I lost a lot of confidence. I just didn’t have the mental strength to come back from that.”  

“I just found it really challenging [as] it was the first time I was experiencing it.” 

Despite the struggle, Cole returned to the pool with a renewed perspective – finishing fifth, proving to herself that she could rebound. 

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Off the boards, she was also reaching new heights. Passionate about science and engineering, she collected a string of accolades in 2024: the Young Scientist Award, the Grand Prize for Ingenuity for the Australian Science Teachers Association (ASTA) iCubed Science Awards, and the Australian Defence Force Future Innovators Award. 

She capped off her year by receiving the Personal Excellence award at the NSWIS Awards, recognising her equal commitment to both elite sport and academics. 

It was at the start of 2025 that a major decision landed in Cole’s lap: an offer to attend Stanford University in California.  

“Absolutely, [it was a dilemma],” she said. “It took me, maybe three months to decide what I wanted to do.” 

“I did not want to leave NSWIS, and I did not want to leave Chava [Sobrino, Cole’s coach]. All my support is here, and I was really scared to leave it. And I still am scared to leave it. But I just know that it’s something I would regret if I didn’t go, because it’s such an amazing opportunity and it’s an amazing school.” 

While many athletes wait until the end of their sporting careers to think about what’s next, Cole has always believed in planning ahead – not just as a fallback, but as a way of building a full life.  

“I’ve always known that diving wasn’t going to last forever,” she explained. “There wasn’t a moment [that made me realise it] – I was always setting myself up for a career outside of diving.” 

For Cole, that path is aerospace engineering. Fascinated by space and innovation, she’s already imagining a future in research. 

But for her, it’s not just about having a Plan B – it’s about identity.  

“Sport should not be your entire life. I feel like it would consume you. Sport doesn’t last forever; you need to set yourself up for something [and have] multiple different aspects about your life,” she said. 

Turns out, not studying is foreign for Cole, who said she’s been using her down time to try new interests. 

“I’m not studying anything at the moment, so it’s been really hard because all I’ve been doing is diving,” she said. “I’ve been trying to find ways to fill my time – I’ve been reading, baking, trying (and failing) to learn Spanish, even coding for a bit.” 

“I just don’t like being solely consumed by the sport. I think you need something else, some problem-solving outside of it.” 

As she prepares to move across the world, Cole admits she’s nervous. 

“I’m honestly really scared – but it’s going to be amazing,” she said. “You don’t want to stay put for so long. I feel like through change, you can advance a lot more.” 

“I feel like there’s just so much knowledge at a place like Stanford, and I’m so excited to learn off everyone, learn new life skills, more independence, and then obviously hopefully take my diving to the next level. They have amazing facilities over there.” 

She’ll live on campus in student dorms, train and compete with the college diving team, and continue representing Australia internationally. But she’s always been clear about what she wants beyond medals. 

“It’s a sacrifice, but it’s also such a blessing to be able to have this opportunity. I feel like you have to make sacrifices in life to chase after your goals.” 

Looking back on her incredible 12 months, Cole said her journey wouldn’t have been possible without the support of NSWIS.  

“NSWIS has been probably one of the biggest supporters throughout my entire journey,” she said.  

“They’ve been helping me since day one – from physio, strength and conditioning, and nutrition, I wouldn’t have been able to get here today without NSWIS. They helped me through a lot of injuries and balance diving and academics. They’ve just assisted me in probably every way possible, so I’m really grateful for them for everything they’ve done.” 

Rachel Tingey, NSWIS