IN THEIR ELEMENT

element In their

Canada’s FAB IV diving team already knows what it takes to be successful—in work and in life.

No one knows workplace pressure like Canada’s all-female diving team the FAB IV. With judges, cameras and hundreds of people watching, they must execute near-flawless synchronized and solo dives in some of the biggest competitions in the world, such as the upcoming Pan Am Games and the 2016 Summer Olympics, to name a couple. Partners Meaghan Benfeito and Roseline Filion (10m synchronized diving, individual 10m platform) and Jennifer Abel and Pamela Ware (3m synchronized diving, individual 1m and 3m springboard) made a quick trip to Toronto from Montreal to talk about their passion for the sport. Though they spoke specifically about diving, the knowledge they’ve gained is applicable to almost any career.

Fab IV fast facts Years of partnership: 10 (Benfeito and Filion); 2 (Abel and Ware). FAB stands for Filion, Abel and Benfeito, and the IV is a play on W for Ware. | Hours of training per week: 26 | Number of competitions per year: About 20 | Olympic medals won: Bronze in 10m synchronized diving at the 2012 Summer Olympics (Filion and Benfeito); bronze in 3m synchronized diving at the 2012 Summer Olympics (Abel with former partner Émilie Heymans)

WORK WITH TALENTED PEOPLE WHO CHALLENGE

YOU Ever heard the phrase “If you’re the smartest person in the room, you’re in the wrong room”? The general idea applies to diving, too. “We have the advantage of training with divers who have had a lot of success internationally,” says Filion, “so we push each other to be better.”

VISUALIZE YOUR DESIRED

RESULT The warm-up before each event consists of running through the motions of the dive on the ground, “like a simulation,” says Abel. Visualizing the dive before it’s performed is the best preparation.

JUST DO YOU It’s impossible to control another person’s actions, even in a sport that relies so heavily on teamwork. When Ware and Abel get on the springboards, “we just focus on our own dives,” says Abel. “If Pam does her dive and I do mine, everything’s going to be OK.”

DON’T TAKE YOURSELF

TOO SERIOUSLY Competing at such a high level in front of hundreds of people is a stressful undertaking, but the FAB IV divers know how to enjoy the moment and have fun. “If you take it too seriously, something’s going to go wrong,” says Benfeito. To loosen up prior to competition, the women often sing and dance.

ACCEPT THAT MISTAKES

HAPPEN No matter how much the divers train and visualize, imperfect dives happen. “Sometimes, I have a bad day and it will be my fault that we don’t do well,” says Ware. “Sometimes, it will be Jennifer. I’m not going to blame her if she dives poorly, and I hope she won’t blame me.” Abel agrees: “It’s part of the game. You see what went wrong and come up with a solution, but you still have to keep diving the next day.” — Andrea Karr

Abel, Filion, Benfeito and Ware are some of Canada’s top medal hopes at the upcoming Pan Am Games.