Height fright: How Fil-Aussie cliff diver Xantheia Pennisi overcomes fear

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Filipina-Australian standout Xantheia Pennisi hopes to reclaim her status as a strong contender in the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series after facing mental struggles partly caused by her fear of heights

PALAWAN, Philippines – Cliff diving is not for the faint of heart, but even one of the best in the sport still gets the jitters.

It got so bad for Filipina-Australian standout Xantheia Pennisi that she lost her spot in the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series just a year after emerging as a strong contender in the women’s division.

The 2024 season saw Pennisi face mental struggles that ultimately cost her berth in the tour and relegated her to a wild card for the 2025 campaign.

A part of the Red Bull roster since 2018, Pennisi gradually rose through the ranks and notched her highest finish in 2023 when she placed third overall behind reigning eight-time world champion Rhiannan Iffland of Australia and Molly Carlson of Canada.

“I was doing really well but I had a few crashes the year before on a certain dive, so in 2024, I really struggled mentally with one dive. It’s something called a mental block,” said Pennisi after a round in the season-opening El Nido leg.

“A lot of like gymnasts, aerial athletes experience this. Even the top ones experience this. That was a big challenge for me but I did overcome it.”

Compared to Olympic platform diving events which have a maximum height of 10 meters, cliff diving raises the stakes as competitors jump off from terrifying peaks: 27 meters for men and 21 meters for women.

Athletes like Pennisi have to be not only in top physical shape but also in the right frame of mind as they need to execute tricks as precise as possible while plunging to speeds of up to 85 kilometers per hour.

Knowing she had to work on herself, Pennisi took a step back and upgraded her arsenal.

After stumbling to 12th and last place in the fifth leg in Oslo, Norway, and sitting out the sixth leg in Montreal, Canada during the 2024 edition, Pennisi worked her way back as she got sixth in the seventh leg in Antalya, Turkey.

She then ended the season on a high note with fourth in the eighth and final leg in Sydney, Australia.

“[I] ended up learning new dives and it actually built up my diving list. I learned three new dives. Last year was my learning year, and this year, I’m really trying to clean up those dives to get back on that top-three ranking again,” said the 26-year-old.

While Pennisi admitted she still feels uneasy when she is up there above the waters, it is the fact that she embraces her fear that keeps her going.

“Every time I’m on the platform, I’m freaking out, I’m so scared. I think that fear is never going to go away. I’m okay to say that I have a fear of heights. A lot of it is about practice and mental prep and working with a sports psychologist,” she said.

“There’s no one fix to take away all the problems, it’s kind of realizing that before I get on the platform, I’m going to be scared and just being prepared for that and just trusting all the hours and training I’ve put in and hope that it goes for the best.”

For Pennisi, it all boils down to letting her effort behind the scenes to do the magic.

“I’ve spent hours and hours in the pool and in the gym working on the sport. At the end of the day, I’ve been doing it for so many years and I’m capable,” she said. – Rappler.com