Rhiannan Iffland’ is Australia’s very own cliff diving sensation and four-time consecutive Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series champion. Not only is she the youngest female diver to ever win an event, but she also managed to score podium places on all her seven starts.
Achievements like these are the fruits of hard work, with iffland’ pushing the limits on what’s possible one dive at a time. Tenacious, audacious, and incredibly thrill seeking we sit down with Rhiannan to talk about her career journey and the bold moves she has made along the way.
“My journey began at the age of 9, beginning in trampoline sports and gymnastics and then venturing into springboard and platform diving at international levels. Starting early on in life left me feeling burnt out and un-inspired, and it wasn’t until I was 19 that I re-ignited my passion and started diving as an entertainer on cruise ships. This was my introduction into high diving (20+ metres), and I completely fell in love with the lifestyle and the fact that I could push myself as an individual and an athlete. This is where my real potential was unlocked, I was able to have the freedom to express myself as a diver and explore a different avenue of my sport.”
In the beginning you had a vision; what gave you the courage to own your story to the level you needed to?
“My transition from conventional diving to high diving was simply a vision to begin with, an idea that came with many doubts, it was my intuition that I followed. Starting a new journey is always filled with excitement and the unknown, it’s a risk vs reward scenario, and when I looked at the bigger picture, I always saw the rewards, so putting my focus on the positives helped me develop the courage to go for it. My idea of creating a story starts by not putting a limit on potential. If I look back at my career so far, the opportunities that seemed the scariest were ultimately the ones that lead me on the most rewarding journeys. The story I want to take people on with me is one that escapes the ordinary, and is constantly challenging, creative and exciting; I feel there are a lot of lessons learnt from taking those leaps of face.”
Having the guts to be ‘bold’ is something we admire about our bold women; did you face any setbacks when you started out?
“Throughout life we all encounter setbacks, and as an athlete there are many instances where you think it’s time to give up, we are constantly subjected to injuries and not performing at the right moment. But I believe that mindset is everything and it is setbacks that set us up for successes. One thing I have learnt throughout my career is that persistency and dedication will always overcome the challenges you are faced with.”
Making Bold decisions throughout your life and your sport would have become imperative to thrive, if I said “She lived a bold life” what does that mean to you?
“To me, more than anything, it means staying true to who you are. To constantly put yourself out there and take on challenges as they come your way.”
Have you ever had a moment where you have been told that something can’t be done, and you had to hold strong?
“Many times, I’ve been given the impression that my goals were a little left of field. And the times I have been told this, I have chosen not to listen, this is where intuition comes in. I have away been a firm believer in following your gut and giving everything a shot.”
We believe in the power of a supportive tribe; how did you build your tribe? What did you look for?
“Yes, I love my tribe of people. I try to keep it small, honest, and fun. Building that kind of support network doesn’t happen overnight, it comes in time. I naturally gravitate to people who are honest, positive, and partial to a challenge.”
Can you please tell me what your top three habits are to maintain success?
“My three non-negotiables are persistence, dedication, and passion.”
Lastly, if you had 20 seconds of insane courage what’s the one bold move you would make right now?
“I would move to a new county, learn the language and immerse myself in the culture.”