Senior diver Rebeca Arrechedera’s story deserves all 10’s. She’s been making waves with our diving team since her sophomore year but now, she’s taking that talent to the next level with Northern Arizona University for their Division One team. 

Arrechedera spent her childhood practicing gymnastics in Venezuela, where they used old, worn-out equipment. “The equipment was in a really bad state, to the point where you couldn’t do certain things because you could get hurt,” says Arrechedera. Once immigrating to America at the age of 12, Arrechedera did not easily adjust to her training. “[Since] I didn’t know how to speak English, whenever they would give me instructions, I wouldn’t know how to do it right because I couldn’t understand what they were telling me,” she explains.  

This struggle didn’t last for long thanks to the influential mentors she had during her transition. “It wasn’t as hard as I thought it would be because I had coaches who actually knew how to spot and knew what they were doing,” remarks Arrechedera. These mentors showed a tremendous change compared to her time in Venezuela. “For a while we didn’t have a coach [in Venezuela], so my dad stepped in until he dropped me in a skill. A weightlifting coach stepped in for a while, until he left. It was really difficult having a coach then going to have no coach each time,” she adds.     

Arrechedera’s first inspiration to join the Lamar Dive Team came to her when she was in middle school. “I would come watch my sister’s swim meets here at Lamar and see the divers who would compete, and they looked like they were having so much fun. So, remembering them and their competitions [during] my sophomore year is what made me join them,” recalls Arechedera.  

While she could’ve succeeded as a part of something else such as gymnastics, she never regrets her decision. “My biggest accomplishment has for sure been winning first place at nationals last year on one meter. It actually showed me how much improvement I’ve made and how far I can go,” highlights Arrechedera. Her wins are not limited, however, as she’s also broken the school record with a score of 474.95, been captain of the diving team for the past two years and placed first in districts two years in a row.

These wins will take her off to NAU on a full-ride scholarship. “I never expected to get such a generous offer because of it, which makes me really thankful for this sport,” exclaims Arrechedera. She first reached out to NAU via her previous diving coach, who had connections with the current NAU coach. “He knew that Northern Arizona [University] would be a great fit for me, so he contacted her, which led me to watch them compete at UH. I was able to develop a really good relationship for the coach,” describes Arrechedera. Despite being highly sought after, Arrechedera’s final nail on the head was the physical therapy program which she plans to pursue. Her career is sure to grow with coaching and training from NAU. “It’s going to be so much different since I will be alone, but I’m excited to start this different life,” finalizes Arrechedera.   

Overall, Arrechedera’s story dives into the power that hard work and pure grit have over your future.