RENO, Nev. - Heydra competed at the World Aquatics Championships in Japan and the World University Games in China this past summer. Heydra represented her home country of South Africa at both events.
 
At the World Aquatics Championships, she competed in the women's 1-meter, 3-meter and the 3-meter synchronized with her best event being the 3-meter synchronized placing 17^th.         
 
"I was disappointed with how the World Championships went and I would have been disappointed if I ended my season with that," Heydra said.
 
Heydra had a more dominant performance at the University Games, placing 9^th in the women's 3-meter and 10^th in the women's 1-meter.
 
"I ended up having one of the best competitions I've ever dived in my entire life," Heydra said. "That was one of my biggest takeaways because I almost pulled out of the competition the day before."
 
Heydra compared the University Games to a small-scale Olympics, where there was a village with university student-athletes from all over the world.
 
"I do this sport because I love it and when I'm super serious things don't normally go too well," Heydra said. "It took a competition where I was truly enjoying myself and the camaraderie of the other divers to find the joy in competing again."
 
Heydra will enter her junior season when the Pack opens up at Northern Arizona's dive invite on November 15.