AFTER just one month working in Busselton, Doctor Eliza Cole had to ask her boss if she could take time off to travel to Russia.
It must have seemed like a strange request, but the decision paid off.
Cole went to represent her country in diving at the 16th FINA world masters aquatic championships and returned with three gold medals.
Cole took up the sport when it was introduced to her in primary school and said she loves competing.
“I liked the sport as soon as I tried it and have been involved in it from a young age,” she said.
“I have a coach in Perth who is amazing and I regularly travel there to train as there aren’t any diving boards in the South West.”
While in Kazan, the 29-year-old competed in the 25-29 age category and was victorious all of her events.
She put her opponents on notice when she claimed the one-metre springboard goal by 70 points over the nearest rival.
The following day she took home the gold medal in the three-metre springboard before finishing her campaign with a win in the 10-metre platform with a score of 331.40 – a massive 90 points ahead of the silver medallist.
Cole told the Busselton-Dunsborough Mail she enjoyed being in the athletes village with the team of nearly 50 compatriots and they were very supportive of her achievements.
Now working as a GP at Surgery 82 in Bussleton, Cole said she will take a short break from competing but hopes to defend her crown at the 2017 world championships in Budapest.
