From Balai Ringin to the podiums of the world’s top diving competitions

Enrique (third left) and his team mate Elvis Priestly (fourth left) winning gold in men’s 10 metre synchronised diving at Sukma XXI Sarawak 2024.

By Marlynda Meraw

KUCHING, Sept 23: Enrique Maccartney Harold’s star is shining ever brighter in the Malaysian sporting world, and especially so in during the Malaysia Games (Sukma) XXI Sarawak 2024.

At just 21-years-old, the young diver hailing from Balai Ringin has already left an impression on the international stage, representing Malaysia in multiple competitions, with a career marked by both impressive achievements and steadfast determination.

Enrique, the firstborn in a family of five, was not meant to be ordinary. With two younger siblings—one a boy who would soon follow in his brother’s footsteps, and the other a little girl still learning to find her path—Enrique was the first to feel the pull of adventure.

His parents, ever steadfast and supportive, nurtured his youthful curiosity, but it was his cousin, Bryan Nickson Lomas, who truly lit the spark. Bryan is an accomplished Sarawakian and national diver and the youngest Malaysian to qualify for the 2004 Summer Olympics. Inspired by Bryan’s remarkable achievements, Enrique’s parents gently nudged their son toward the same path, believing that perhaps, like his cousin, Enrique, too, could find his place in the water.

The call of the waters

Enrique’s days at the Tabuan Jaya Sports School were demarcated by the blare of school bells and pool splashes. The young boy would spend his mornings in class, his afternoons in the pool, and his evenings back home, repeating the routine day in and out. It was a demanding cycle, but one that he embraced with a quiet determination.

The water had a way of calling to him, a siren song that promised both challenge and triumph.

But life, as it often does, had other plans. At just 16-years-old, Enrique was selected to train at the Bukit Jalil Sports School, a place far from the comforts of home and family.

“I felt sad to leave my family. But I knew there was a reason, a higher purpose for me to go (away),” he said.

He accepted the change with wisdom beyond his teenage years, knowing that sometimes, the heart must be tested by distance to grow stronger.

At Bukit Jalil, he was assessed, tested, and pushed beyond his limits. Though he did not quite understand the sport then, he knew that if he were to dive, he would do so with all his heart, not just for himself—but for Malaysia, his family, and something greater than his own ambition.

An exclusive interview with Enrique Maccartney.

Highs and lows

Enrique’s journey has not been smooth. His first Sukma outing in 2014 in Perlis, resulted in a bronze medal in men’s synchronous diving event—a taste of success that whetted his appetite for more.

The following Sukma in Sarawak, two years later, yielding nothing but disappointment, but Enrique did not falter. Instead, he returned to the pool with renewed resolve, and by his third Sukma outing in 2018, his efforts bore fruit: silver in the 10m synchronised diving and bronze in 1m individual diving events.

However, in late 2019, Enrique’s journey came to a sudden halt. A misstep and his knee gave way. The diagnosis was grim—surgery, and a long recovery ahead. For two years, he stayed at Bukit Jalil, sidelined, unable to compete or train with his usual vigour. The injury also cost him the chance to compete in the 2022 Sukma.

Yet, like a river finding its way back to the sea, he eventually returned to his element and made his way to the podium—a gold medal in the 10m individual diving at the 2023 Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in Cambodia, and a bronze medal in the 10m synchronised diving at the 2023 Asian Games in Hangzhou.

Balancing on the edge of ambition

Now, Enrique divides his time between diving and his studies in Mass Communication at the Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM). Each day requires delicate navigation between the demands of academic and athletic activities, with training sessions stretching from afternoon to late evening. Sundays, the only respite in his week, is cherished, but his eyes remain fixed on the Olympic Games, Enrique’s ultimate dream.

“We train every day but I want to reach the Olympics. That’s the highest achievement,” he said.

His most recent attempt to qualify at the World Aquatics Championships in Doha earlier this February fell just short—a ninth-place finish when he needed to be in eighth to get past the qualifiers. Enrique is not one to be easily discouraged, and as of now, he trains on, knowing that his path, though winding, is still unfolding.

Enrique (right) and teammate Elvis Priestly heading to the springboard while competing 10 metre synchronised diving event on Aug 20, 2024 at Pandelela Rinong Aquatics Centre, Kuching during Sukma 2024.

From the high board to the heart

Enrique is a young man with dreams beyond the diving board. He dreams of setting up a bakery someday for his mother, and a space where people can gather and create.

His parents—a mother who works in a legal firm and a father who runs his own business— are his anchors, their love a constant presence in his life. His younger brother, too, has taken up diving, while his sister remains engrossed in her studies.

Enrique describes himself as 65 per cent serious, with the remaining as playful—a lovely blend of discipline and light-heartedness, much like the sport he loves.

For Enrique, the water is more than just a medium—it is a metaphor for life. With each dive, he defies gravity, confronts his fears, and reaches for something greater.

His story is one of determination, of dreams that shimmer like ripples of a pool. He knows there will be storms, setbacks, and days when the depths seem too vast, but he also knows that, like the water, he is always in motion, always reaching, always dreaming. — DayakDaily