A TEENAGER who has been selected to represent his country while diving for the World Championships has set up a fundraising page so he can afford to compete.
Archie Biggin is set to be the first-ever youth high cliff diver to represent Great Britain in the upcoming World Junior Diving Championships which kicks off in Montreal, Canada on Sunday (27 NOV).
The 14-year-old from Sheffield, South Yorkshire has already achieved many incredible achievements in the sport – such as becoming the youngest person to dive off a Red Bull platform (22m) at age 14.
However, Archie is swapping traditional diving for high diving which he will be competing for in the upcoming championships.
Archie has been diving since he was just six-years-old, however he was inspired to try the alternative version when he saw the Red Bull cliff-diving team on TV.
However, he needs some extra help to be able to cover the costs of funding his trip.
Speaking today (TUE), Archie said: “The GoFundMe was a fantastic way to tell people my story.
“I got selected at the end of October so we had to raise money very quickly, this money will go into funding the whole tournament from flights, accommodation living costs and paying for coaches.
“It starts in two weeks. I’m very excited and the nerves first proper junior world’s competition for cliff-diving It feels really good to be able to compete before.
“There’s more danger because it’s much higher, it’s a 12-metre platform that I’ll be diving from in Canada and because of the height you have to land on your feet instead, which is different to normal diving.”
For Archie to compete in the upcoming event, the trip will cost a total of £3,000.
Archie added: “I completely do understand why it’s self-funded, there really isn’t much in-place for high diving in the UK at the moment, this is why raising money through the GoFundMe was so important.
“We’re finding more about the situation of diving in the UK, I’m the only ever person going for team GB and it can be a great opportunity to expand high-diving in Britain, I don’t want it to just be a side project.
“I’ve had so many people sponsor me who I’ve never even met before as well as many local business in the Sheffield community, it really means so much and I want to make Sheffield proud.
“There was no European competition it’s an unusual route. I was in contact with people at the GB team and I knew that the high-diving competition would be coming up so I sent video’s of me training for it and then they selected me.
“If people can see me doing it shows more people that we can do it in Britain and I really hope it can help grow the sport here.”
Archie’s mum, Rachel Biggin, 47, wrote on the GoFundMe page: “As well as allowing Archie to build on his love for this unique aspect of the sport, we hoped he would be picked by GB for the Junior Worlds High Diving Invitational in December in Montreal.
“He has been picked, but they have no budget left, so we have to find the finance for this trip.
Archie has so far raised £2,460 towards the trip which he will be competing in from Saturday 3 – Sunday 4 December where he will be doing four dives over two days.
To donate, please visit https://www.gofundme.com/f/ctjq2f-archie-competing-at-junior-worlds-high-diving.
