Two-time Olympian from Greenfield Park says last year’s World Cup event in Montreal was the best moment of her career.
In 2016, she and Jennifer Abel finished just short of the podium in the synchronized three-metre springboard event at the Rio Olympics, where Ware finished seventh solo.
Five years later, Ware finished 18th at the Tokyo Games.
The 31-year-old from Greenfield Park didn’t hesitate when asked about her best moment in diving: the World Cup in Montreal last year, in front of her family.
“It really showed me the value of all the work I did after Tokyo,” she told The Canadian Press on the phone. “This is where I had the most fun in my entire career. Being able to make it at home in front of my family, my husband and all my friends was really special. I will remember it all my life.”
Ware started diving at Club Agami, in Brossard, before training for more than 20 years at Club CAMO, based in Montreal.
“When I want something, I will do anything to get it. I quickly fell in love with diving,” Ware said. “I was watching the Olympics and I said to myself ‘one day I want to go to the Olympics.’ I did everything to achieve this goal and I was lucky enough to go twice.
“When I was young, I wanted to be like Roseline Filion. I even did a project at school on her. She was my role model and I wanted to be like her.
“When we were on the (national) team together, I really got to know her. He is truly an exceptional person. She and Meaghan (Benfeito) helped me become who I am. They have always been there for me.”
Ware also wanted to highlight two coaches who have marked her path.
“I think I spent 16 years with Aaron Dziver as my coach. In and out of the pool, he has always supported me — in the biggest successes, and even more so in the lowest moments. I don’t know where I would be today without him.
“I also want to mention Hui Tong: he arrived in the most difficult times, after Tokyo. He was the one who helped me the most to rediscover my love of diving. I am very grateful to him. He helped me regain confidence in myself.”
In her first FINA Worlds, in 2013, Ware took third place in solo, but also in synchronized three-metre, with Abel.
At the 2015 Pan American Games, she took silver, behind Abel.
Ware began focusing on the individual event in 2017. A year later, she won bronze at the FINA World Cup in China.
The Quebecer has gone through several eras of her sport.
“Every experience has been different,” Ware said. “At the beginning, I was the young person who knew little, often lost, but the older ones, like Alexandre Despatie, accepted me into the team. They paved the way.”
Then, “with Meaghan, Roseline and Jennifer, it was really special — yes, it’s an individual sport, but we were a team. It doesn’t happen often with four girls on a team, who are among the best in the world and who are so close to each other. And in recent years, I shared my experience with the younger people, so I had all the roles.”
Her final competition was the Bolzano meeting in Italy this summer.
“I wanted to finish on a good note, finish happy,” Ware said. “Before my last dive, I started crying on the diving board because I knew it was my last dive. It was very emotional and I was just really happy. I will always remember that.”
Ware, who now lives in Nova Scotia, has turned to another passion, in the food industry.
“I’m planning my post-career. I always wanted to study pastry, but I couldn’t do that at the same time as diving,” Ware said. “I am doing a one-year program at Nova Scotia Community College (Baking and Pastry Arts). After all that, my new dream would be to open a small pastry shop.”