- Just to set your expectations: I'm not jumping from that tower today. And I'm not jumping
from that tower either. I am going up there and, frankly, I've seen the
route I've got to take, it looks terrifying enough. But that 20 meter platform
is twice the height of the tallest Olympic standard board. If I jump from up there, I'd hit the water at about
70 kilometers an hour. That's easy enough speed
that, with no training, I would be in hospital. I've even got to be harnessed in
while I'm up there just in case. But that doesn't apply to Lysanne Richard, world class high diver
and cliff diver who is going to show me the way up and then take the quick route down. And down here, safely at pool level, someone from the
Montreal Olympic Park's team is going to explain why they
built a board that high. - It's the biggest
aquatic center in Canada. It's a facility that was built
for the Olympics back in 1976 and it's also right now home
of Team Canada in many sports. It's also open to the public. - How long have you been training to be able to do this sort of thing? - I did gymnastic and
diving and circus before, but it's been already
22 years that I'm a high diver. - And you were in Cirque du Soleil right? - Yes. I worked at Cirque
du Soleil for a while, but I never did diving
with Cirque du Soleil. - Okay. - It was completely renovated in 2015. Lysanne was well aware
of the Olympic Center. She was also training here. So when we renovated, she looked at all the
space here and she said maybe you could put a high
diving platform there. And we started with a 18 meter platform. Then two years later she said,
well, you know, I think you guys got room
for a 20 meter platform. So we built a 20 meter platform, and we became the only
place in North America where people can perform high
diving in an interior space. Winter can be harsh sometime, but because we have this facility,
they can train all year long. - So how do you learn to do this? do you just, like, work up
from lower heights and- - Yeah! You do not do high
diving if somebody asks you. - Right. - Like, you really have to feel that
you have to do it, you know? So just right here. - Okay. Up the ladder. Oh, I can feel the positive
pressure, the heat... There's air coming up through here! - Yeah, so this is the last chance of
changing your mind! - Yeah, no, it's fine. I'm going to be harnessed in.
It's okay. - Yeah - Let's go. - The structure that is here
was built initially because people needed to have
access to change the lights. The 12 and the 15 meters is attached to the platform that we have right here. But the 20 meter is
attached through the roof. - I've got to be harnessed in
up here with a lot of stuff. You just have a safety loop. - Because I'm an acrobat, I have the authorization to
go only with the hand loop. - Right. Let's go. Oh, this platform bounces! - Yes. Because it bends, it's not
going to break. All right! - Yeah. You are 15 meters up
from the floor. - Okay. Lead the way. So how many times a day can you do this?
'Cause it's got to be a physical strain. - Yeah. I do more of the complementary
training than high diving. 'Cause I'm 41. At one point I had
enough impact on my body, so now I train everywhere else and I do high diving to perform. Depending of your age, of your injury, you can go a maximum
six times, by day. - Okay. - But you cannot do every day
and you cannot high dive every month. - It's that much strain on your body. - Yeah, because after high diving you need a recovery time, you know. - Because you're hitting
the water at what, 70 kilometers an hour,
something like that? - Exactly. But in some of my
challenges, I go 27 meters, so it's pretty fast. And here, the water is warm,
so it's easier on the body. But when we go outside or in competition- - Oh you might be cliff diving
into cold ocean? - Yeah, yeah. - We know that FINA, which is the
Federation of Aquatic Sports, are working towards having
this sport in the Olympics. So we said, well, we might
as well have the equipment. We also did the same
thing with skateboarding. We also have a big bowl. So the goal here is to say after 45 years, how can we be in the game,
and be also a place, where athletes still
come train 45 years later. - This is the 15 meter! - This is brand new,
now we have 15, to build up the next
high diving generation. - Wow. - So there's the 10, 12, 15, 18 and 20, it makes it really safe, because they do not learn
too fast and have accidents. - Olympic Games last only two weeks. So what's happening when you pay more than a billion dollars
for Olympic facilities? You need to think about the future. - You have a zip wire! - Yes. A zip line for this, and I also always put
the shoes down, I can- - And that's just fun,
that is, that's- - I'm always jealous of my shoes. I would like to go "aaagh"! - We are able to be a place
where they can practice but we can also host some
competition, which is quite nice for a facility that was built 46 years ago. - This is the one bit
where I'm not harnessed in. - Yeah. - Okay. There we go. You're entirely unharnessed - Mm hmm. - And I've got twintails on.
All right. - But you know, when we dive
it's better to be unharnessed! - Yeah, yeah it is! Okay. I guess that's the one
question I haven't asked, which is "why". Why did you
choose to take this up? - At the beginning I wanted to do it because I felt brave and I
wanted to be one of the men. 'Cause at the beginning, no women were doing this sport, you know? So I wanted to prove that
women, we can make it. Then at one point I wanted to do it to help the sport progress
and go to the Olympics, and help to build, to have the
next generation and to win. But now I do not need to compete anymore. I want to inspirate the people being involved into
the progress of the sport. I'm totally in the present moment
when I do high dive, and I'm a mom, I have three kids,
I have a lot of jobs. When I high dive
there is nothing, no grocery list, nothing. - So I now just duck under here. Agh. I'm harnessed in, I'm harnessed in. I'm harnessed in. I'm harnessed in...
I've got two separate harness points. All right. - This is where champions
are built, right here, in those facilities, which are
also accessible to everybody. - (low voice) I don't want to
distract her at this point but when you're up here,
you do realize that is... that's a very long way down. [cheering]
Woo! I'd applaud, but my hands are a bit busy. Right, I'm going to take the
slow route down, it's safer.
When I was 15 I joined the Sea Cadets and part of our training was learning to safely jump from a ship. They showed us the proper technique ("pencil dive" - arms crossed over chest, feet first, toes pointed down), as well as how to overcome the mental block you get when faced with jumping from that a height (don't think, just jump).
Well, I never did join the Navy but I did get to do some cliff diving later in life and all of the training just came back to me. I was one of the few to walk up to the edge and just jump without pausing. Because when you pause, you have time to think. And when you have time to think, you try and psyche yourself up to do it. For many people, survival instincts won that fight and they never jumped.
Reminded me of this 15 minute video about regular people jumping off a 10 meter tower for the first time.
It's interesting seeing who jumps and who chickens out.
The first thing I thought of was Rodney Dangerfield in Back to School. Back to School (1986) - The Triple Lindy Scene
She's 41! She could pass for being at least 10 years younger. There's definitely something to this high diving thing.
Doing that in her 40's? What a badass!
What advice would you give someone jumping from a high platform into water to make sure they land in the safest way possible?
We used to jump 15-20m from cliffs when I as teenager, a bit stupid but it's not that hard when you're jumping all summer. Flipping and diving on the other hand... fuck that.
Bonjour Québec!!!
Welcome to my hometown, Tom!
"I'd applaud but my hands are busy" touche