Brescia House alumni to compete in SA diving team at upcoming Commonwealth Games

BRYANSTON – Brescia House School alumnus Nicole Gillis has been selected as part of the first South African diving team to compete at the Commonwealth Games in more than a decade.

Nicole Gillis will compete as part of the South African diving team in the upcoming Commonwealth Games in Australia in April.

A Brescia House School alumnus Nicole Gillis is excited to be part of the South African diving team that will compete in the Commonwealth Games in Australia in April.

Gillis, who grew up in Bryanston, was schooled at Brescia House since Grade 0 and has been an enthusiastic diver since the age of eight.

“The last time we had a South African diving team participate in the Commonwealth Games was over a decade ago and it only consisted of one diver,” she said.

“Sending a team of three this year is great exposure for South African diving and allows us to inspire young and upcoming divers around the country.”

She will be competing in three events at the games including the 1-metre springboard, 3-metre springboard and 3-metre synchronised diving. Gillis will be competing in the synchronised event alongside Micaela Bouter.

Micaela Bouter, Julia Vincent and Nicole Gillis are members of the South African diving team to compete in the Commonwealth Games in April.

Nicole Gillis competes in the 1-metre springboard event at a previous competition. She will compete in this category in the upcoming Commonwealth Games.

Having been awarded an athletic scholarship to the University of Arkansas in America, Gillis is thankful for the opportunities offered overseas to pursue her diving goals.

She aims to reach a final and improve her ranking at the Commonwealth Games, but most importantly hopes to gain more experience and make her country proud.

“I love the unique athletic ability needed for diving. I enjoy the adrenaline rush it gives me when competing and when I achieve a goal of mine… Diving is very much a mental game, and reaching that next stepping stone in the process makes it that much more worthwhile and rewarding.”

Gillis has been diving for South Africa since 2010 and along the way has competed in two junior world championships, two grand prix events, one world cup and three world championships. Her greatest achievements so far were last year when she competed in the 1-metre springboard and 3-metre synchronised events at the world championships, achieving 18th place in the 1-metre category and 13th place in the synchronised events, just missing the finals by a few points in each of them.

Nicole Gillis stands with her 3-metre sychronised diving partner Micaela Bouter.

Brescia House past pupil Nicole Gillis competes in the 3-metre synchronised dive category alongside her partner Micaela Bouter.

Head of marketing at Brescia House School Nicole Gillis said, “The Brescia House School community wish Nicole all the very best for the games.”