For diving coach Svitlana Serbina, the 2025 Canada Games marked a series of firsts—her first time coaching at the Games, and a big step in a coaching journey that began more than a decade ago.

“Very interesting. Very new for me. Very excited. Very big experience,” Serbina says with a smile, describing the impactful experience of her Canada Games debut.

Though this is her first time at the national multi-sport event, Serbina is no stranger to diving. A former world champion athlete herself, she knows what it takes from both the board and the pool deck.

“When you are a diver, it's one side diving, and when you are a coach, you stay on pool deck and you are more stress because I understand every event,” she explains. “So I more nervous for sure, because it's same as I do every dive with every athlete.”

Serbina began coaching at just 20 years old. Now, with over a decade of experience, her passion for the sport continues to grow—and it brought her all the way to Manitoba from Ukraine to be with her family.

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Building a diving program strong enough to compete at the Canada Games took dedication. Summer training was a challenge, both physically and mentally.

“This program for diving was specific during summer, because usually the athletes not do diving all summer. It was a little bit harder mentally,” she says. “In the future, I want at psychology support… it’s very important. When I was a diver that how happened with me and I want to share with my athletes, because it's important.”

“They were ready physically, but a little bit not enough mentally. Because it's a big competition.”

She hopes the athletes take more than just medals home from the Games.

“Maybe it will be more focus—and more schedule,” she says of the lessons she wants her divers to learn. “So they need to know at what time they will go to sleep and wake up—when they can eat, sleep, rest, wake up, training, and everything.”

She knew very quickly what her favourite moment of the Games and being here in St.John’s was.

“Ocean is best of the best, because water, it's my energy, it's all health, energy for me.”

Looking ahead, Serbina is inspired to keep growing the sport.

“I want to do more and more and more for diving. Our club, I want the level be more higher. But in any case, it's first time [at the Games], and I hope not last,” she says. “As a coach I saw what we need to do more, to develop the divers program. And it's important because when the kids very young, it's a future. In life, they will be more sure with everything, they can be more confident, more focussed. Winning is important, but losing is more important to learn and grow.”