ABOUT Molly
Molly Carlson
Born in the small town of Fort Frances, Ontario, and raised in Thunder Bay, Ontario, Molly has always had an athletic passion. Molly's dream of being an Olympian for Team Canada started when she was four years old. She is currently a Senior National Team High Diver for Team Canada and well on her way to achieving her Olympic dream.
Athletic
Career Highlights
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Canada’s First Ever World Championship High Diving Medal (2023)
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First Ever Canadian National Champion (2023)
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Junior Pan-Am Champion (2013, 2015)
Additional Accomplishments
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Master of Arts in Counselling Psychology Completed Coursework (MACP)
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2020 Florida State University Graduate, Bachelor of Science in Psychology
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2020 ACC Scholar-Athlete of the Year
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Founder of #BraveGang Community with over 4 million members (@mollycarlson)
BRAVE
Molly's
Journey
Athletic Start
In 2006, age 7, Molly's passion for artistic and powerful performance began in the sport of gymnastics. Molly competed exceptionally well for two years as a gymnast before she fell in love with the sport of diving.
In 2007, Molly visited Canada's Wonderland and watched her first diving show. She asked her mom right in that moment to switch into the sport of diving as she wanted to "FLY" like the performers from the show.
Diving Debut
Molly began diving in September of 2007 in Thunder Bay, Ontario. At her very first Junior Nationals in 2008, Molly won a Bronze medal. Team Canada immediately focused on Molly's talent and guided her towards international level competitions.
Image from the 2009 Jr. Pan American Championships held in Calgary.
Junior National Team Years
Molly began to excel in the sport of diving and competed on the international scene her entire Junior career. From 2009-2016, she qualified for all possible Jr. Pan American Championships, Jr. World Championships, and Youth Olympic Games.
Molly is a 2x Jr. Pan Am Champion on the 3m springboard and a 3x Jr. World Finalist on 3m & Platform.
Image from the 2015 Jr. Pan Am Award Ceremony in Cuba.
A rocky grade 12 year
After a successful career as a Junior Athlete, Molly began competing against senior-level athletes and Olympians. In 2015, her final year of high school, she moved to Toronto with her mother to achieve her diving career goals.
During this time, Molly found herself managing an eating disorder.
With extreme anxiety experienced at the top of the diving world, Molly developed a binge eating disorder. For over a year, Molly experienced extreme body dysmorphia which stemmed from self-comparisons with unrealistic body types.
A New start
Molly knew she needed a fresh start. She needed to step away from the environment that contributed to her disordered thoughts and find a healthy environment that could bring back her happy soul.
In 2016, Molly committed to Florida State University and never looked back. John Proctor, her college coach, appreciated Molly for her talent and enhanced the importance of a healthy mindset. This coach-athlete relationship changed Molly's life.
Molly felt as if she found a home away from home where she could love herself again.
Florida state HISTORY
Molly's new home in Tallahassee attending FSU, surrounded by supportive teammates and coaches, was the healthy environment she was looking for. This experience manifested excellence, both in and out of the pool.
She made history representing the Seminoles for 4 years. A 7x ACC Medalist, 3x ACC MVP Diver of the Year, and 5x NCAA All-American.
Image from Molly's senior year 2020 Gold Medal ACC Award Ceremony with Coach John Proctor.
Transition to High Diving
Molly encountered many wrist injuries over her 12-year diving career. Diving to her hands was wearing. But, she has always enjoyed landing on her feet. This lead to Molly attempting a few High Diving drills on the 10-meter platform with her FSU coach, to see what they felt like.
The drills resulted better than expected. Her FSU coach, John Proctor, looked at her at that moment and said "That's it, you're doing Redbull Cliff Diving after graduation".
"I contacted Team Canada in January 2020 about my decision, and they were thrilled" - Molly Carlson
Molly Graduated from Florida State University in May of 2020 with her Bachelor of Science in Psychology.
Team Canada High Diver
Molly was so passionate about joining the high diving world that she moved her entire life to Montreal, Quebec. This allowed her the opportunity to be trained by Team Canada High Diving Coach, Stephane Lapointe. As well as, train alongside a teammate, Lysanne Richard, the 2016 Fina High Diving World Champion.
The 1976 Montreal Olympic Stadium is her new home training centre in which has the first and only indoor 20 meter platform in the world.
With only 4 months of Team Canada training under her belt, Molly is on track to be a top competitor on the World Stage in 2021.
Success & Passion
Molly is currently thriving in her career paths. As a social media influencer & extreme sport athlete, many goals and passions are coming to life. She is currently battling the best in the world for World Champion status, while always being real online showing the ups and downs of the journey. This relatability has helped Molly connect with a community of over 4 million people. Her passion is to continue to inspire the next generation to be their bravest selves.
With her authentic presence on social media, Molly has had the honour to partner with some of her dream brands such as Red Bull Canada, Speedo, and Biotherm.