While it seems baffling to water a swimming pool, the safety mechanism is required for all Olympic diving events.
Originally appeared on E! Online
Alison Gibson is leaving the 2024 Olympics with her head held high.
The Team USA diver shocked crowds during the women's 3-meter springboard competition in Paris on Aug. 7 when she slammed her feet on the springboard mid-flip during her first dive.
The mistake prompted a penalty for Gibson, registering her performance as a non-dive and earning her a score of 0.0. The 25-year-old continued the competition with her four remaining dives, but ultimately finished 28th out of the 28 athletes. Still, she is not letting the loss taint her time at the Olympics.
"Our worth is not defined by one painful moment," Gibson wrote on Instagram Aug. 8. "I am who I am because of the journey it took to get here. And I will not let the shame and pain of this moment define me and my worth."
She shared the messaged alongside a video of her mishap, adding, "In my 15 years diving, this has never happened to me. My feet were bleeding. My heels were painfully bruised from hitting the board."
And while Gibson knew that everyone expected her to quit the games after the penalty, she didn't want to let that happen, saying that she wanted to persevere "through highs and lows."
"This was far from the outcome I wanted," the Olympian continued, "but I fought with everything I had to represent my country as well as I could and I'm proud of that. To those on the outside this may look like an embarrassing failure. But to me this journey to the Olympics has been anything but a failure."
And while she noted that "my heart and my body hurt," Gibson felt confident that "this competition does not and will not define me."
The athlete also hopes that her determination to complete the competition can inspire others.
"I pray that my grit can inspire others to keep fighting even when they feel like all is lost," Gibson said. "Keep your chin up even when you fall short. Keep your chin up because you're worth more than just one painful moment."
She added, "If you have a moment when you feel like all is lost don't give up hope. You are beautifully and wonderfully made."
And her positive attitude has never wavered. Immediately following the Olympic competition, Gibson detailed her injury, saying that she has "cuts along the sides" of her limbs because she hit her heels and feet on the board.
"I bruised my right heel pretty good," she explained, via NBC News, "but I was determined to keep going."
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