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Archive Record
Images
Metadata
Object ID |
2013.55.102 B |
Object Name |
Video Recording |
Title |
Bev Boys Interview |
Scope & Content |
Bev Boys interview, 14 December 2006. Digitized MP4 from FUJIFILM M321SP Betacam SP. Three videos with a total viewing time of 01:05:05. 1 of 3; 00:15Welcome to hall 00:52Childhood: grew up in Pickering, Ontario on a 60 acre farm, had a pool, took swim lessons at golf course, liked any kind of sport, no aspirations to be a great athlete, went with her neighbour to watch her train as a diver in Toronto, tried diving; would have done anything, any sport 02:30Sport models: hockey was big, liked Dave Keon; Karen Magnusson, Elaine Tanner and Nancy Greene all competed at the same time; friend Judy Stewart was a fellow diver and made the 1964 Olympic team, really was the first time she heard about the Olympics, Judy was a hero for her because she is not someone anyone else would know; had poor facilities for training then 03:55How did you get into the sport: did swim in the pool but not a great swimmer, ended up in diving mostly so she could go into Toronto, "I liked to live on the edge. It is a bit scary." 05:19How did you get introduced to diving: learned to "dive" (more like doing cannonballs) at the golf course pool, nothing related to competitive diving; would have done anything in sport, diving wasn't something she picked, it just happened to be the sport that was presented 07:40How did you go from cannonballs to the refined sport of diving: went into the pool in Toronto, did it as a hobby, had no coach, was during the public time at the pool, went into competition at an early age, the big attraction was getting off the acreage and seeing new people, started winning early, like the challenge, was coachable, keen, lots of energy 09:20How old were you when you were coached into diving: age 12, at Leaside, the coach was a trampolinist and gymnastic coach, she was a bit of a daredevil, when she won a competition and went to another in Quebec she realized there was more, talks about training 10:36When did you realize you were good at diving: really strived to win, was really going to be the best at a sport, did not have same kind of commitment for school, that became important later as she was not allowed to travel unless her grades were good; talks about various competitions she attended as a young teenager, when her friend Judy made the Olympic team she knew she wanted to go also, in 1964 she was 6th at the nationals at age 13, she was determined to make the team and win 13:43On having 'air sense': the more you are on a trampoline the more you develop the sense, the perfect person now is a gymnast; at age 13 had a trampoline and a diving board with a sawdust pit in her backyard, practised each morning doing hurdles, jumps and back take-offs 14:53Your dad built the sawdust pit, describe it: had a fixed fulcrum, landed on her feet, strictly for hurdles, most difficult thing was to be consistent, if not then made a series of corrections, in the end was the best hurdler in the world because she had done so many, Ontario had only one duraflex board, few coaches available; she excelled a little faster because she was diving three days a week, developed her legs and certain techniques 17:09Tell me about the pit again: reiterates why pit was built; 1 metre dry board a pit, even trained in winter, did not have rentable pool time, limited money, did her training during public time 19:07Can you learn air sense: you can learn air sense in gymnastics, have to like that feeling of being afraid, of living on the edge, talks about comfort zone, can be taught it, better if it comes from within, recommends that any child should be put into gymnastics at it is great for co-ordination 21:12On timing: that's where jumping on the trampoline and the dry board make a difference, you get the rhythm that involves timing 22:12When did you become serious about diving: talks about the competitions, her first international was in 1965 in England, then in 1966 made the Commonwealth Games team, should have won that competition but it was cancelled because of the wind conditions, she had trained in the wind and had no problems with the conditions, at the 1967 Pan American Games she came in second and realized she could have beaten everyone, at the 1968 Olympic Games realized everyone was the same, on a level playing field, came in 4th 2 of 3: 00:01Talks about training and competition: talks about diving in Lake Ontario with problems like cold water, shallow, winds, blood suckers, garbage, etc.; when finally got to the Olympics and in a regular pool it was easy; talks about the make-do areas for training her coach found, made her very tough 03:50How did you get selected to the national team: diving had no office at that time, diving existed in clubs, she got a uniform but had to buy her own swimsuit for the Olympics; talks about going on first international tour in 1968 to the Eastern Bloc countries with a team of 4 divers and Vaughn Baird 06:14The Eastern Bloc was frightening, age 16, shocker to see what it was like, the judging was sketchy, you won because they knew you 07:45On the 1968 Olympics: did not think about winning there, did not understand the playing field, came in 4th, moved 21 spots on one dive and got 9.0s in the competition, "These guys are good but they make mistakes just like we do"; now training seriously so moved to Winnipeg because they had a platform, before the 1972 Olympics had issues with the coach, she self-destructed on her own, in a state of rebellion, ate too much and got heavy, came in 5th, career going from bad to worse, not happy, bad loser because had success early, move in 1972 to Montreal to train, had lost some of the desire; the best was 1968 13:34"It's all about the Olympics. My desire was to win. Now I would be happy to have won a medal."; the media is the measuring stick, you win otherwise they ignore you 14:53"That's the beauty of the Hall of Fame. It looks at your career. You don't go into the Hall of Fame based on one event. It really is the measuring stick for me. It was one of the best things you could be given because it looks at the whole. It didn't matter that I didn't win an Olympic medal. It mattered that I had a long and really quite glorious career with stumbling blocks and pit falls. When I look back I have friends all over the world. It's a real family and an incredible experience to be with those people I competed with." 16:14Quote "Bev Boys could have competed with the men": had not heard that quote before but could have done, was incredibly strong and strong mentally and strong physically, maintains it was because it was so difficult to train, it make you strong; on funding - the more you got, the less you worked; "when you're hungry, it easy to get there than to stay there. The 'want' is taken out of it."; she trained with the men, tougher now because they have very difficult dives 18:33Most difficult dive: forward 1 ½ with 3 twists, dive that is difficult to stay square, won more events for her than anything, didn't spin very well, didn't have a fast twitch, learned on the spring board and then on the platform, this was the toughest dive in the 1968 Olympics 20:34As a judge today, can you describe the degree of difficulty and the formula: each have has a degree of difficulty, as a judge you don't take it into account because the formula takes care of that, describes the formula; the highest DD was 2.9 when she was diving and that was the one she did, she knows how it should be done but could not teach it 22:52On Montreal 1976: amazing to have the Olympics in Montreal, not in sync with her coach after 1972, did lose her real drive, not doing it for me, doing it because I had to; now would have changed coaches; after 1976 went to school for one year in the States, credits this with keeping her in the sport, went to the 1978 Commonwealth Games and came second, loved to compete but did not want to train anymore; 1976 was fun, there was pressure but she loved pressure, did not fold, loved competing at home 25:04So you spent most of your life in diving: never got out, became a diving coach, wants to see that the athletes have a better time, that they do it for themselves, that we build strong characters in those people, bring more to the table such as goal setting than just winning; she is tough when she coaches; believes strongly "if we don't give back there is not going to be a sport"; judging is her volunteer time, important that we all give back 27:04On BC Diving: currently the executive director, coaches at a little club in White Rock, lots of kids who are not competitive but some who are, drive to find somebody with a passion or desire or instill that passion in them 3 of 3; 00:00Most important thing you learned from diving: sport taught me about hard work, taught her about goal setting; had to do well in school, had to have a focus, dedication 01:42Did you get more value out of winning or losing: out of winning, I don't lose well then and I don't lose well now, very poor sport, very bad at losing, as a coach hard on her students to be good losers 03:21Is participation more important: participation outweighs competition, when she was competing she was into the competition rather that participation, was on a different stream, different focus; as a coach will funnel students who want to compete and have the talent for it, but if she has kids who just want to compete at a low level there are programmes for that, very important for children to feel good about what they do, club in participation driven, talented ones need more work 06:15Final thoughts: won 2 golds at the 1970 Commonwealth Games, had to beat the Canadians, the media got it, nice to be part of that; judging is refined now, can't cheat; being a member of the Hall of Fame is an overall opinion of what you did, not just winning one event but being in the ranks of the best 08:03Shows her Vaughn Baird award for service |
Date |
2006/12/14 |
People |
Boys, Bev |
Search Terms |
interview Bev Boys women in sport Diving Aquatics 1967 Pan American Games Winnipeg 1971 Pan American Games Cali 1966 Commonwealth Games Kingston 1970 Commonwealth Games Edinburgh 1974 Commonwealth Games Christchurch 1978 Commonwealth Games Edmonton 1968 Olympic Games Mexico City 1972 Olympic Games Munich 1976 Olympic Games Montreal |