Having officially retired from competitive diving, three-time Olympian Yona Knight-Wisdom is wasting no time shifting focus from performance to preservation—determined to ensure that diving doesn’t disappear in Jamaica following his departure from the sport.

“For years, I’ve been thinking about what diving in Jamaica could look like after I retire,” said Knight-Wisdom. “Now that I’m done, I can finally put my full energy into making sure it has a future.”

The British-born diver, who proudly represented Jamaica on the world stage for over a decade, is working on multiple fronts to lay the foundation for the sport’s long-term survival—and growth—on the island.

Knight-Wisdom is preparing to host his third annual diving camp in Jamaica this summer. But unlike previous years—where he covered all costs personally—he’s now appealing for sponsorship to help make the programme sustainable.

“The last two years I paid for everything out of pocket—travel, accommodation, certificates, and books for participants,” he said. “That’s not sustainable. If I can get a sponsor to help support the camp, it would make a huge difference.”

His vision doesn’t stop at a summer camp. One of the standout participants from previous editions recently completed a diving coaching qualification in London and will return to Jamaica this summer. With Knight-Wisdom’s guidance, she will help run sessions post-camp—a first step toward establishing a diving academy with a structured pathway for youth development.

“There’s also a former Cuban coach based in Montego Bay who’s very keen to be involved,” he added. “We have the people, and now we need the support systems in place.”

Knight-Wisdom revealed that two young female divers based in the United States have shown strong interest in representing Jamaica. While their Jamaican citizenship paperwork has taken longer than expected, he remains hopeful they’ll receive their passports in time to compete at the upcoming Junior Pan American Championships in Colombia.

“If they can get everything sorted soon, they could qualify for the Junior Pan Am Games in Paraguay later this year,” he said. “To have Jamaican divers on the international stage immediately after my retirement would be phenomenal.”

One of the biggest hurdles facing the sport is the lack of adequate diving facilities in Jamaica. Knight-Wisdom is actively working with global industry partners to address that.

He has opened discussions with Duraflex, a leading supplier of diving boards used at world-class competitions, and more recently, Myrtha Pools—an internationally renowned company that builds Olympic-standard aquatic facilities.

“I had a really encouraging conversation with Julien Brice from Myrtha Pools,” he explained. “They’ve helped build pools in St. Lucia, Trinidad, and the Cayman Islands. Jamaica is next on their radar.”

Knight-Wisdom believes this partnership, along with potential government collaboration, could lead to a significant redevelopment of the National Aquatic Centre, which sits on the same grounds as the National Stadium.

“I’ve been feeding all this information back to Lance Rochester at the ASAJ (Amateur Swimming Association of Jamaica), who’s in contact with the Ministry of Sport, Independence Park, and the government,” he said.

“There’s already talk of renovating the National Stadium. If some of that budget could be allocated to upgrading the Aquatic Centre too, that would make swimming and diving more accessible to more people.”

Based on early estimates, a complete renovation of the Aquatic Centre would cost between US$4 and $7 million—a fraction of the proposed budget for the stadium overhaul.

Though challenges remain, Knight-Wisdom is encouraged by the conversations taking place and the interest being shown both locally and abroad. He’s clear-eyed about the mission: building a system where diving is not just a one-man effort, but a community-driven sport in Jamaica.

“There are hurdles to overcome, no doubt,” he said. “But we’re making progress. My dream is to make diving a normal part of the sporting culture here—and to see Jamaica continue to compete and succeed on the international stage.”