Molly Carlson overcame the ‘twisties‘ by forcing herself to jump. The Canadian-born cliff diving competitor didn’t have a choice.
She had to figure it out before her next event, just a few days later.
This kind of mental block is not uncommon in sports, like diving, that require high-rotation while in the air. We saw it with Simone Biles at the Olympics. We most recently saw it with Carlson at the very beginning of the 2026 World Series.
Who is Molly Carlson?
Born in Ontario, Molly Carlson is a member of Canada’s senior national high diving team and a professional cliff diver. She competed at Florida State from 2017 to 2020 and left the program as a three-time NCAA All-American and three time ACC MVP.
And then it was off to the cliffs!
Carlson transitioned to cliff diving after graduation and started to compete in the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series in 2021. Her third-place finish in her first year was an overwhelming success. The next three years were even better.
Unfortunately, Carlson has yet to break all of the way through. She has finished second overall in the series in 2022, 2023 and 2024. An injury derailed her season in 2025. That leads us to 2026.
The first stop of the 2026 Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series took place in Bali in May. Carlson, back to full health, placed second.
She finished fifth in Florida at the beginning of June.
She finished fifth, again, in Copenhagen at the end of June.
Not only is Carlson incredibly good at her sport, the 27-year-old built a huge following on social media. A large part of her brand is focused around transparency. She uses her platform to promote mental health and helps others to overcome anxiety. It is a feeling that has followed her throughout her entire career.
How do you beat the Twisties?
It is not as easy as you might think for a high diver to dive off of the high dive. Yes, they are professionals. Yes, they do it all the time. No, it does not get any less intimidating.
Even the most veteran divers get the jitters. Molly Carlson is not the exception.
She actually had to overcome a bad case of the twisties just a few days before her second competition of the season. The “twisties” is a mental block where the mind and body disconnect in mid-air. Athletes lose their spatial awareness and forget how to twist or flip. You might already be familiar with the condition because of Biles in 2021.
There is only one way to get past it — jump. Carlson had to relearn how to twist in two days after she already spent the last six months learning how to twist. She could not let her mind defeat her. She just had to go full send.
Fortunately, Carlson was able to get past the fear and it led to a strong early season. However, a podium finish at the next three events will be crucial to her place in the overall standings. Second place is good but the goal is always to win!