93-year-old Armenian man may be the world's oldest masters diver

PanARMENIAN.Net - Even at 93 years old, Tom Hairabedian is diving head-first into competition.

The oldest masters level diver in the world, known as “Dr. Dive”, began competing at 17 years old, and though he’s slowed down a bit, he’s still performing dives most people decades younger wouldn’t even dream of attempting, FanSided says.

According to the International Swimming Hall of Fame, where Hairabedian has been a member since 2007, he developed his “can do it” mentality from his mother and father, who survived the Armenian Genocide and served as a Captain in the Russian Army, respectively.

He competed on USC’s diving team and then went on to become the head swimming and diving coach at Central Missouri State University.

At the Masters level, he has more than 140 national titles and 16 world titles.

He even takes his dives all the way up to the 10-meter platform (that’s 32 feet). Check out his backflip from that height when he was 90 years old.

Born in 1924, Hairbedian is capable of putting on a show off the diving boards, too. In July, he played the national anthem on his harmonica at the USA Masters Games in Carlsbad, Calif.

He has a doctorate degree in physical education and follows a raw foods diet, and it’s paid off. He doesn’t have any metal holding his body together, like many of his friends who are former divers, and he reports no major health issues.