“I would say having confidence on the board is the thing that separates a good diver from a great diver.”

We recently sat down with senior Bella Flowers, and found out that she traded gymnastics for diving, but you’d never find her trading a taco for any other kind of food. On a summer day, though, you might just find her jumping from a rope swing into the Farmington River. 

 

Year: Senior

Hometown: Simsbury, Conn.

Activities: Diver and a captain of the swimming and diving team that has been Founders League champion the past two seasons; golf team; head tour guide; head tutor in the The Quantitative Resource Center (QRC) and Science Resource Center (SRC); president of the Environmental, Social & Governance (ESG) Investing Club and the Pre-Med Club. Bella is interested in becoming a doctor.

How did you become a diver? “I did competitive gymnastics since I was 4. Coming to Loomis Chaffee I realized — I was training 25 hours a week — that I wanted a life outside of that sport. When I was applying, everyone was saying, ‘You should try diving, you know how to flip, you have air awareness.’  I started my freshman year, and I have loved it.” Before coming to LC, Bella said she had “jumped off a diving board here or there but nothing competitive.”

What did gymnastics do for you in regard to diving? “A lot physically. I have strength on the board and can get really high and do a lot of flips and twists ... and I think it prepared me mentally for the sport. Fear is a big thing, and overcoming that and trusting yourself and your coaches is important, and to some extent knowing your limits also is important. I can’t go throw a 3 ½ off a one-meter board — that’s just not what I can do. So recognizing there will be people better than me, but I can just keep working hard.”

What makes a good diver? “Someone who can get into the mental aspect of what fear is, and what is stopping them from a dive. ... someone who is willing to try new things ... someone who can jump high on a board and flip themselves around a bunch of times, ... but I would say having confidence on the board is the thing that separates a good diver from a great diver.”

Favorite course or assignment? I have really loved my math teacher this year [Nicole Bowen], who also was my math teacher as a sophomore. I’m in advanced math courses and do well in math, but I am not the strongest, so I have to work hard at it. Ms. Bowen has been so helpful. She will meet me for extra help ... and she is just very good at teaching. When she is teaching, it just all makes sense.”

Favorite place on campus? "I love Founders [Hall]. My freshman year [2020–21] was the recovering-from-COVID year ... so some rooms in Founders were hangout spots. And that is where I met some of my closest friends today. We would hang out in Founders, and I have fond memories from that.”

Favorite meal? “Tacos. I could eat tacos every single meal every single day for the rest of my life.” Any special tacos? “I will eat tacos from anywhere ... a random place in a city on the street, I will be getting tacos.”

If you won $1 million, what would you do with it? “I’d donate a lot of it [to cancer research]. I would also invest a lot of it so I could grow the money. And I would definitely travel.”

If you could change one thing about the world, what would it be? “There are a lot of things wrong with the world unfortunately, so it is hard to pick one. This is broad and general, but providing equal access to everyone regardless of race, social status, gender ... that would fix a lot.”

Is there one experience or moment that has changed you? “My whole experience at Loomis has changed me. I came in a very introverted and shy person, but Loomis, both in and out of the classroom, has allowed me to grow into someone who is social, someone who is comfortable meeting new people, someone who can express an opinion. I’ve learned so much about myself, what I am interested in, and I have met such interesting people here, too.”

If you had a day with no commitments and no restrictions, what would you do? “Sounds like a pretty nice day. ... I would get up early to make the most of it. I am an avid gym-goer, so I would go to the gym. And it depends on the weather. On a nice summer day, I like to be outside, and I live close to the Farmington River, so I enjoy swimming in the river. There’s a rope swing near me. ... Maybe I’d go skiing if it was snowy. I’d hang out with friends and family.’