If a fear of sharks didn’t stop professional cliff diver Molly Carlson from plunging into shark-infested waters, it would seem there’s no challenge she isn’t up for.
“I knew I had to say yes. I was like, I want to push myself so far out of my comfort zone,” Carlson told CityNews of the oceanic endeavor.
“I’m so glad I said yes. Well, I cried a few times. It was just so worth it,” she said.
The heart-pumping challenge saw the Montreal-based athlete make history when she plunged from a moving helicopter into a specially designed cage surrounded by sharks – a world-first dive for Discovery’s Shark Week.
A post shared by Molly Carlson (@mollycarlson1)
It wasn’t always an obvious yes for Carlson, as she recounts to CityNews.
“I got this call from Shark Week with this idea. ‘Can you be the first person in the world to dive into a shark cage?’ I’m like, ‘No, thank you. Are you kidding? How about you do that?’”
The dive itself – from a moving helicopter into a stationary cage – wasn’t exactly the problem. Rather, it was her fear of sharks, something she had previously spoken about openly.
“I truly have had the biggest fear of sharks since I was like zero,” she said. “I’ve always been swimming in chlorine and thinking there’s a shark under me.”
The experience in the Bahamas became an opportunity to confront her fear head-on.
“In the most chaotic times, your brain can actually find silence,” Carlson said. “And for me, this is why I do this sport. I live with anxiety every day and my brain is going and going. ‘You could be better. You’re not enough.’ So many thoughts in my head. But as soon as I’m on the edge of something so extreme: silence. And it’s in the moment, and it’s this focus, it’s this dialed… and I nailed it right into the middle of the cage.
“And I was so proud. I came up screaming. I think I even rolled into the shark water at one point. I was like, ‘Girl, get on the jet ski.’”
The Canadian, raised in Thunder Bay, Ont., went from traditional diving to cliff diving after university and quickly established herself as one of the world’s top female high divers.
With over four million followers online, she’s also a social media influencer. She took that fame and founded the BraveGang community for people to feel comfortable sharing their unique brave stories.
Now she’s bringing her fans along for another major milestone: her first attempt diving from the 27-metre platform.
“I’m 27 years old right now and the men compete from 27 metres in my sport,” she said. “And the women compete, we do 20 to 22 meters. So I’m super proud of all the heights I’ve jumped off of, but my highest has only been like 22, 23 meters. And I knew that I have always wanted to push and see what my body was capable of.”
Aug. 27 is the big day for the 27-metre dive by the 27-year-old. Her team is set to record the entire journey and release it on her YouTube channel at 1 p.m. that same day.
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This latest challenge is Carlson once again showcasing how fear doesn’t necessarily disappear, but rather how you can move forward while it’s still there.
“For me, it’s truly a passion project,” she said. “And I can’t wait to just see how high my bravery can go, literally.”
