In 2012, an 11-year-old Nikita Hains stayed up in the middle of the night to watch the gymnastics events at the London Olympic Games. While watching the event, she picked up her pen and wrote in her diary that she was going to make the Olympic Games.

Nine years and countless hours of hard work later, she made that promise a reality.

Displaying constancy and grit, Hains secured her position as a member of the 2020 Australian Olympic Team at the 2021 Australian Open Championships incorporating Nomination Trials.

It’s no wonder than that Hains considers her greatest strength her unwavering determination.

Her coach Richard Schavone certainly agrees.

“Nikita is the perfect athletic success story. When she came to South Australia in 2019, she was good but definitely more of a candidate for 2024 than 2021,” Schavone said.

“She felt she had a shot at 2021 as a member of our 10-Metre Synchro Team. Unfortunately, that dream ended with Australian not attending the FINA Diving World Cup and thus not getting the qualifying spot for the Women’s 10-Metre Synchro event.

“However, in the past two months she worked extremely hard, and everything came together at the trials.

“Hard work, strong motivational drive, and she reached her dream.

“I couldn’t be prouder.”

The Western Australian’s drive extends well beyond the diving pool as she is studying a Bachelor of Science at the University of Adelaide. In the long run, she hopes to become a doctor with a postgraduate medical degree.

Before that she will have another major test, the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.

Hains’ competition plan will be simple. Coffee, music, and taking one dive at a time as she focuses on highly specific cues developed through hours of training.

Who knows, perhaps Hains will inspire an 11-year-old Australian to write in their diary that they too will make the Olympic Games.

Watch Nikita Hains compete at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games in the Women’s 10-Metre Platform Preliminary Wednesday August 4, 2021.

Age: 20

Hometown: Perth

Coach: Richard Schavone

Event: Women’s 10-Metre Platform

Olympic Games: 2020