INTERNATIONAL HIGHLIGHTS: 9 FINA MASTERS WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS; 1992 FINA MASTERS WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS: (45-49) GOLD (10M), SILVER (1M, 3M) , 1994 FINA MASTERS WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS: (45-49) SILVER (3M), BRONZE (1M), ; 1996 FINA MASTERS WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS: (50-54) GOLD (10M), SILVER (1M, 3M); 1998 FINA MASTERS WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS: (50-54) GOLD (10M), SILVER (1M); 2000 FINA MASTERS WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS: (50-54) GOLD (10M), SILVER (3M); 2002 FINA MASTERS WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS: (55-59) GOLD (10M), SILVER (1M, 3M); 2004 FINA MASTERS WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS: (55-59) GOLD (10M), SILVER (1M, 3M), WORLD RECORD ON 10M; 2006 FINA MASTERS WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS: (60-64) GOLD (1M, 10M), SILVER (3M), WORLD RECORD ON 1M; 2008 FINA MASTERS WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS: (60-64) GOLD (3M, 10M), SILVER (1M), WORLD RECORD ON 3M; COMPETED IN 4 DIFFERENT AGE
GROUPS: 45-49, 50-54, 55-59, 60-64
Tarja Liljeström was born in 1946 in Helsinki, Finland. Her love of diving began at a young age when she was watching clown divers in a water show jumping from springboards and platforms playfully into the pool. She began diving at the age of 11 years old and 11 years later, she represented her homeland of Finland in the 1968 Mexico City Olympics, on both the 3-meter springboard and the 10-meter
platform in the diving competition. In the 1980 Moscow and the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games, she acted as a judge in the diving competitions.
She became interested in Masters Diving in 1989, when a small group of divers from the USA and Germany participated in the First Open Finn-Masters diving competition in Helsinki. Tarja tells a great story about the event which epitomizes the World and the beauty of Masters. “To the surprise of the organizers, and everyone in attendance, the USA had an 88-year-old diver, named Viola Krahn,
competing on the 1-meter springboard. Tarja said, “the younger divers at the event stood by ready on the poolside to jump into the water to save her, if something went wrong in her dive, but the amazing lady dived magnificently.”
It was then that Tarja decided that joining the Masters group after your competitive diving career ended, was a great idea. It helps maintain your health, your muscle strength, and it is great exercise for all all age-groups. As a bonus, Masters diving makes you feel younger than your physical age. Tarja also finds it inspiring, when traveling to different international Masters events, meeting up with her many old
diving friends from her early competitive days.
Tarja’s international Masters career includes competing in nine FINA Masters World Championships during 1992 – 2008, where she accumulated 25 medals (9 gold, 15 silver and 1 bronze) in the 1m and 3m springboards and the platform. During this period, she participated in four age-groups: 45-49 through 60-64.
In addition, she was a member of the FINA Masters Committee (1997 – 2009) and member of the LEN Masters Committee (1994 – 2008). Tarja is a researcher for the University of Helsinki.