National diver Eskrick-Parkinson retires at age 24

National diver Yohan Eskrick-Parkinson has decided to quit the sport at an age when most will be looking to produce their best performances.

The Canada-born 24 year-old, who made his national debut in 2022, made the announcement via Instagram on Thursday.

“Any attempt to be concise in providing a summary of my time in diving and the influence it has had on my life would be impossible. So, bearing in mind the fact that there is much more I could and would like to say, I will simply state that the person you know me to be, and the values and skills you know me to have, wouldn’t be what they are without this sport,” Eskrick-Parkinson said.

Though his national career was short lived, Eskrick-Parkinson made history for the island when he teamed up with Olympian Yona Knight-Wisdom to form Jamaica’s first national synchronise diving team.

He expressed his thanks to Knight-Wisdom who, he said, had a great influence on his career.

CONSISTENCY

“Yona, in the last two years of our teamwork, you have consistently demonstrated a level of determination, commitment, patience, resilience, and leadership that I have never seen before. What we have achieved together thanks to your sacrifices, support and wisdom is a monumental achievement for our island nation. Thank you for all that you have done for me. My brother, best of luck in Paris, I’ll be cheering you on. I look forward to seeing what projects we can work on together in the future,” he said.

Eskrick-Parkinson’s dream was to compete for Jamaica at the Olympics, however, that dream was not realised.

Despite this, he said diving has had a significant impact on his life on a whole.

“I will ... acknowledge that everything I have achieved in 15 years of diving has been made possible thanks to the connectivity and support from the people I have met along the way, no matter how brief such instances were,” he said. “Although I credit diving for having provided me with the opportunity to meet what I believe is a majority of the people that I know, the inverse also seems equally and paradoxically true: Without all of the people I have met, and their undeniable contribution to my life in the form of teamwork, friendship, advice, instruction, and motivation, I would not have made it to the highest level of this sport.”

He did not reveal what he would be moving on to, but he said it is something he is looking forward to.

“There are few things that are as fulfilling to me as the connection I share with others. Due to sheer volume, I am unable to name everyone that has helped me to get here. However, know this: You are in my thoughts, and I walk into the next stage of my life a better person because of you. I am grateful for you,” Eskrick-Parkinson said.