Gemotions

From the high dive, Marco looked down at the shimmering turquoise water of the Olympic pool. Up until this morning, he'd been a platform diver. Then, the coach, a man he'd always seen as the pinnacle of understanding, had suggested he give the springboard a try.

The height. The different angles. It was all so… new. He swallowed hard. The established routines and familiar heights were what he knew. The springboard was unpredictable, a challenge he'd never consciously chosen.

He closed his eyes for a moment, picturing the twisting, turning dives he’d practiced hundreds of times. Then he opened them again, the uncertainty settling in his stomach like a lead weight. He took a deep, shaky breath, and climbed the ladder.