Professional Cliff Diver Documents Her 'First Attempt' Back on Platform After 72-Foot Fall

NEED TO KNOW

• Molly Carson shared footage of herself returning to the high-dive platform after slipping 72 feet in competition on the second stop of the Red Bull cliff diving World Series in Italy on June 28
• The professional high diver detailed the multi-step process she goes through before taking her leap from the platform into the water
• Carson vulnerably opened up about her return to the extreme sport after her "near-death experience"

Heights are afraid of Molly Carson!

The professional high diver, 26, documented her courageous return to the platform after her 72-foot slip in competition on the second stop of the Red Bull cliff diving World Series in Polignano a Mare, Italy, on June 28.

In a recent Red Bull video, Carson — a Canadian athlete and social media personality, who has over 4.5 million followers across Instagram and TikTok — filmed her "first attempt" back on the high dive platform, detailing the 15 steps she took for a fearless return.

The first step? "Measure correctly," reads text over a clip of the athlete standing on the high-up ledge while walking heel-to-toe forwards as she counts her steps to the opposite end of the platform from where she'll start her takeoff.

Step two? "Practice run-up," the text said over a clip of Carson taking her steps and leaps towards the edge, stopping herself just before launching herself over the ledge and into the pool down below.

"Oh my god... We're gonna be fine!" she says on the platform, yelling over the edge to her support system down below.

The third step was "drying off," which featured a clip of Carson taking a towel to her body and legs to ensure there was no outside factor that would hinder her performance.

"We got this," she says, hyping herself up during the drying process.

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Step five? "Listen to coach," reads the text overlay, featuring a clip of Carson standing on the edge of the high-dive platform, taking mental notes while looking down below.

"Put on cap" was step six, while "Final measurements" was step seven.

"Like a psychopath," Carson jokingly says of herself while placing her towel on the platform floor before her takeoff. "Do what you gotta do!" says a supporter of the athlete from behind the camera.

Step eight? "Shake out the nerves," reads the text over a clip of Carson yelling over the edge and jumping up and down on the ledge to rid the jitters from her body.

"Throw the shoes" was step nine, which featured the Red Bull athlete tossing her sandals off the platform. High divers often throw shoes or other objects into the water before entering to test surface tension, gauge depth and visualize their landing spot, among other reasons.

Step 10? "Prepare the safety divers," read the text over a clip of Carson yelling to the people she has in the water, who are there to provide immediate rescue and medical assistance in case of an unsuccessful landing or possible injury upon entry.

"Words of motivation" was step 11, "one final practice" was step 12, "clap yourself awake was step 13, while step 14 was "deep breaths."

Last — and definitely not least — was step 15, "dive!"

In the video, Carson is seen getting in the zone with her hands by her side and her eyes closed, taking deep breaths and quieting her mind before skipping towards the end to launch herself into the air and over the high-dive's edge to take her leap up and over into the pool down below.

This post is just the latest example of Carson showing transparency, a magnetic quality that's attracted millions of followers to her platform, where she doesn't hold back her vulnerable thoughts and feelings as an athlete who does an extreme sport.

On July 28, Carson reflected on her performance in the Women's 20m high dive round at the Singapore 2025 World Aquatics Championships that took place approximately one month after her slip in Italy.

"Some happy tears 🥹❤️💪. The more time I’ve had to reflect since World Champs ended, the more proud I am," she began her post on Instagram. "Getting back up there — just 10 days after something that shook me to my core — wasn’t just brave… it was wild."

"No, it didn’t go perfectly in competition. But I did it. And that means something," she continued. "I showed up for myself, fear and all. And now? I’m giving myself permission to breathe. 🫶🏼 Taking a little time away from the platform to rest, reset, and be proud of how far I’ve come."

The day after, Carson uploaded an emotional clip on Instagram of herself crying on the morning of the Championship Finals — "And I'm a mess," she says at the start of the clip.

"A vulnerable clip from the morning of World Champs High Diving Finals🥹," she began in her caption alongside the video, where she bravely opened up about her mental health and "fear of failure" ahead of the competition.

"Yes, I live with anxiety — and yes, it’s really hard to be a competitive athlete when your brain tells you you’re only enough if you succeed. 🤕 SPOILER ALERT: success doesn’t always mean medals ✨," she continued in part.

After Carson's fall on June 28, she shared footage of the accident — which she called the "scariest moment of my life" — online, explaining in overlaying text that she slipped off the 22-meter high diving platform while competing in Italy.

"One of my nightmares came true," the Canadian influencer wrote in her caption. "First of all I am so grateful to be okay. I never imagined in my life that I would ever slip off of a high diving platform but it happened," she continued in part.

Carson has since opened up about the accident, recently telling CBS Sports, "I think I'm invincible."

Read the original article on People