John Rennie Alumnus Nathan Zsombor-Murray Shares Olympic Medal Memories
by Marilyn Santucci
This summer, the Lester B. Pearson School Board community celebrated as one of their own, Nathan Zsombor-Murray, made a splash at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, securing a bronze medal in diving.
Nathan Zsombor-Murray, an alumnus of John Rennie High School, secured a bronze medal in the 10-meter synchronized diving event with his teammate Rylan Wiens at the Paris Olympics. The two met at a young age at Nathan’s first Junior National Championships and became fast friends and are now teammates.
On Monday, September 16th, Nathan paid a visit to Margaret Manson Elementary school and shared his Olympic experience with students and staff. He answered their questions, signed autographs and took photos. We caught up with Nathan a few weeks back to learn more about his Olympic experience and what it takes to be an Olympian.
“Being in the Olympics is like being in a movie. You are the main character. It is the biggest, and most watched sporting event in the world. Of course, there’s great pressure, however it is more so privilege. The only way I can describe achieving an Olympic bronze medal is as intense jubilation. The culmination of nearly 17 years of hard work. Before my final dive, I knew it would be a battle for third place. I remained calm and did what I always do in training.”
He began diving at the age of 5, when his father would take him to the summer pool, and Nathan would leap from his shoulders into the water. Impressed by his enthusiasm, a coach from the Pointe-Claire Aquatic Centre recruited him. Nathan chose John Rennie High School for its sports-études program, which allowed him to balance his education with his diving passion.
“What I love most about diving is the emotional reward to doing a good dive. Also, pushing your limits and surpassing your own expectations. Being good at the sport kept me motivated. My time at John Rennie was great. Every teacher I had was very supportive in the pursuit of my dream. My final year at John Rennie, I was missing my graduation because of the Olympics. Without my knowledge, they put together a celebration prior to me leaving. It was very touching. They believed in me not knowing if I would ever make the Olympics.”
Fresh off his Olympic success, Nathan plans to take a break from training to concentrate on his education.
“Being an Olympian is not just a title, but a mindset. This mindset is applicable in any discipline or job. I’ve learned to be humble in defeat, and how to pick myself up after a loss. If I can give some words of wisdom, it’s that the struggle makes you strong. And it is important to seek discomfort. I’m not just an athlete but a student. School is extremely important to me, and I would like to graduate with a degree in engineering. The plan for now is to take a well-deserved break from diving to focus on my studies, and then come back to the sport refreshed.”
