Melissa Wu has celebrated a full-circle gold medal at the Commonwealth Games after bouncing back from an SAS Australia injury that almost ended her diving career.
Wu won the synchronized 10m platform on Saturday with Charli Petrov, a 14-year-old who was not even born when a 13-year-old Wu won silver at Melbourne 2006.
Watch the gold medalists’ emotional interview in the video above
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Petrov became the star of the show after defying her lack of experience to win gold but Wu’s own journey is something to savor.
The 30-year-old, who won an individual bronze at last year’s Tokyo Olympics, has been a constant for Australia ever since making her international debut at the 2006 Commonwealth Games.
It hasn’t always been easy for the Sydneysider, though, having dealt with back injuries since she was 21.
“I think I’ll be injured for as long as I dive,” Wu said in 2013.
The issue reared its head again late last year following a stint on Channel 7’s SAS Australia.
Wu proved to be among the toughest contestants when she pushed herself to the brink in several challenges, despite one setting off her back injury.
She eventually withdrew from SAS and immediately began to rehabilitate her body and mind ahead of the Commonwealth Games.
“This year has been a really big struggle for me with my body and injury,” Wu said after winning gold.
“I literally couldn’t touch my toes, I couldn’t even do daily activities and daily living. So to be able to push through and dive the 10m today means so much to me.
“I couldn’t even imagine diving off the 10m when I was in the depths of being really injured.
“I got the injury on SAS Australia but I took a lot of lessons from that. It is a bit ironic, but what I learned on the show also helped me push through the injury and I’m really proud of my efforts.”
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The comeback bid included integrating her training program with Petrov despite the challenge of living in different cities, not to mention the gap in age and experience.
But with gold around her neck, Wu championed the breath of fresh air that her teenage partner became during a taxing time in her career.
“I think that some things you don’t tend to appreciate as much – not that you don’t appreciate it – you just sort of get used to it, I guess,” Wu told Channel 7’s Weekend Sunrise later.
“But Charli’s experiencing everything for the first time and that makes me look at things a different way and look at things through those fresh eyes that I remember I had at her age.
“I think for me that’s been really special to be able to take it all in and appreciate the moments, because it’s never guaranteed.
“You’ve got to soak up every minute while you’re here.”
Wu made it clear, too, that the partnership with Petrov is just getting started.
“I’ve loved diving with Charli. Ella she’s been amazing so far, ”she said.
“She’s such an incredible young athlete with a really good head on her shoulders. That’s made it so easy for us to come together.
“It’s been such a pleasure to dive with her, I’ve loved every minute of it so far.”
In the video below: John Steffensen emulates Aussie gold medalist’s epic celebration
John Steffensen rips shirt off on Weekend Sunrise.
The pair finished seventh in Petrov’s international debut at the world championships in Budapest four weeks before the Commonwealth Games.
The wide-eyed teenager said it will take time before it has sunk in that she already has a gold medal under her belt.
“I don’t know how that happened but it was all an amazing experience,” Petrov said.
“I’m honestly speechless. It’s still – I don’t know if it’s hit me yet. I think it’ll hit me tomorrow morning when I’m fresh, like ‘wait, what happened? This isn’t a dream.
“I’m over the moon.”
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