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Sean and Rachel Burston swept the 1- and 3-meter diving competition for the Long Ridge Club at the Fairfield County Swimming League championships. When 14-year-old Sean was asked whether he had any diving idols, he struggled to name one. His 12-year-old sister Rachel, when asked the same question, had a surprising answer. "I actually do,'' Rachel said. "It's Sean."
The answer astonished her older brother. "Aw, come on,'' he protested. Rachel explained why. "He has a lot more experience than me, and he helps me learn new dives,'' she said. "I think he's a good coach."
Sean, who will start ninth grade at Westhill High School, won his first county championship in 2005. He now competes in national championships and was 10th on the 1-meter for his age group in July's Speedo Junior National Championships. He finished 13th on the 3-meter. His sister finished fifth in 1-meter at the Age Group National championships and 18th on the 3-meter. Her 1-meter total in the county meet set an FCSL record.
Sean picked up the sport at age 6 when Jim Bowser, diving coach at Long Ridge Club, noticed him doing flips off the board. Rachel, who is also a cheerleader and attends Cloonan Middle School, started when she was 6, too.
They spend most of the year competing for the Greenwich Marlins and coach Bill McGowan. They train for up to three hours a day, six days a week at the Greenwich YMCA.
The rewards are worth it. Sean and Rachel competed in meets in Arizona, Florida and Ohio this year. They both have goals to return to the nationals. "Hanging out with friends and meeting new people is one of the things I like most about diving,'' Sean said. "I've met a lot of new friends through diving."
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