“I started diving when I was seven. I joined Sweden’s national team at a very young age and that experience helped me connect with people from around the world. I made friends from other countries, and I looked forward to competitions and the opportunities it gave me to connect with those friends.

Every athlete has hard times when they are so done with their sport and want to quit, but I didn’t, because diving also makes me happy. I liked the feeling that I was good at something because when I was young, school was not my favorite. I kept going because I wanted to see what I could do.

All my friends left Sweden to go to school and I didn’t have divers my own age to practice with. A close childhood friend of mine came to the U and helped me connect with the diving coach here. I decided I would give school in the U.S. a try, and if I didn’t like it, I would go home.

My first year of college was really good. Living on campus helped me make a lot of friends. Having so many people to hang out with made it hard to miss my family and friends back home because I was never alone. I took some general classes to get started because I wasn’t sure what I wanted to major in, but now I have decided to study marketing and communications. I am especially interested in social media.

This is my first Olympic Games and I am so excited. The Olympics have been a dream ever since I started diving, but I don’t know that I ever really thought I would go. I want to take the experience one step at a time and just enjoy it.

Through diving, I have learned to keep going, no matter what, because I know what I want. I keep going even when I am sick or have a bad day. And even if a dive is good, I know I want to be better.”

— Emilia Nilsson Garip, a sophomore studying marketing and communication, and  a member of Team Sweden 2024