Delightful Diver: Margaux Selfors

 She recalled, “My friend Channing was on the team freshman year and always talked highly of the diving team. I was doing indoor track at the time but, after COVID, I decided it was time to try something new.” When asked about her experience joining the Hopkins team in particular, she noted, “The beginning was very nerve-wracking especially because I was never on the swim team before, so I was introduced to a whole new group of people, but within the first day, Chuck had me practicing five different dives and I knew from then I had to stick with it.”

Selfors said that diving “is different from anything I've ever done before. When I'm on the board it reminds me of when I had my trampoline and it's such a nostalgic feeling. When an approach is just right, the board and the diver are working as one and the board will throw the diver straight up and that feeling is always surreal when it happens. I also enjoy how diving is correlated with fear and how if a diver is too scared of a dive most of the time you'll flop but if you aren't scared at all you could potentially injure yourself on the board or in the water.”

Captaining a team comes with pressure and responsibility. Selfors reflected, “I feel pressure to be a good role model and leader to the new kids on the team and hope to make the team super inclusive. I also feel some pressure for the new divers because I personally recruited five new girls who have never dived before so I'm hoping they take it seriously and like it as much as I do!” Fellow captain Arielle Rieder ’23 said, “Margaux loves to make people feel comfortable. She continuously hypes other members of the team up. Her out-of-school experience is beneficial to newcomers on the dive team since she shares her experience and techniques with them.” Rieder  added, “She lightens hard practices with humor and charisma. She constantly pushes for people to do their best and knows when they need the extra encouragement.” Layla Kenkare ’25 agreed: “She is an incredible role model who puts in the work to demonstrate how things should be done instead of just telling people to do it.” 

Nadia Goodman ’25 recalled,  “When I started to back dive I just couldn’t make myself fall off the board. Margaux got on the board with me and helped me fall backwards.” Coach Jason Nevis was full of praise for Selfors: “Margaux has been demonstrating exactly how a captain is described and expected to lead the diving team. She is certainly exemplifying a respectful, attentive and kind teammate. Margaux is able to draw the attention of her teammates in a respectful manner. Her tone is very constructive and encouraging. I am very much looking forward to witnessing her success improving and leading the diving team to victory!” 

Selfors and her fellow captains’ efforts have resulted in an extremely tight-knit Swimming and Diving team. Selfors said, “Swim and Dive teammates always share a different bond than other teams at Hopkins because it is an all-Varsity coed team, meaning every practice, team dinner, and meet, all 60 of us are there training together and cheering each other on. Also, even though I only joined last year a lot of my teammates have been swimming since J-school on this team and I can always count on them to be super sweet and inclusive to all the new swimmers and divers.” Selfors said she would love to dive in college, but whether she will or not is up in the air. Coach Nevis is confident no matter what happens: “No doubt Margaux will be a confident leader, supportive co-worker and kind friend after Hopkins!”