This year's Commonwealth Games will see a dream come true for one young Bermudian.

For when 19-year-old Katura Horton-Perinchief steps out on the diving platform in Manchester, England, in July it will mark the achievement of an ambition that she has harboured for more than a decade.

Horton-Perinchief (19), the daughter of Ellen-Kate Horton and Philip Perinchief and niece of sports minister Randy Horton, has always wanted to represent her homeland but a lack of facilities on the Island saw her leave for Canada, for which she has competed on the international stage.

"It's an incredible honour," said her mother, who represented Bermuda in softball and played for the 'Big Blue Machine'. "This has been her wish for so long.

"I can recall when she was eight-years-old she was interviewed and she said then that she wanted a pool in Bermuda so she could come home," adding with a laugh. "And we are still waiting."

Horton-Perinchief, who is studying at the University of Texas at Austin, came to diving via gymnastics.

"I did gymnastics for nine years and it really ended up being too hard on my body," she said. "That was when I ultimately had to make a choice between gymnastics and diving because I was doing both at the same time."

A self-confessed adrenaline junkie, Horton-Perinchief said the similarity to gymnastics in terms of executing dives coupled with the thrill-factor made it an ideal sport for her.

"I really enjoyed gymnastics and it's very, very similar. I love the risk, it's amazing," she said.

The University of Texas has a long tradition of excellence in the pool and was one of the main reasons Horton-Perinchief made the move south.

"The current Olympic gold medallist has just graduated and we have two other Olympians," she said. "In the women's swimming and diving team combined there are seven gold medallists."

To live up to such high standards requires a lot of dedication, but getting to compete in the Commonwealth Games is ample reward.

"On a weekday I probably get up at about 5.30 a.m. and I practice from 6 a.m. to 7.30 a.m.," she said describing a typical day. "I start class at 8 a.m. and I go to 12.30 p.m. From 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. I have diving practice and at 3.30 p.m. we have weights until 5 p.m.

"From 5.30 p.m. until 7 p.m. we have a collective dinner as athletes at the university and from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. is mandatory study hall.

"After that I get some time to myself, but it doesn't leave much."

Horton-Perinchief, who expects to take part in the three metre and one metre springboard discipline and may also feature in the ten metre platform in Manchester, believes her single-mindedness has helped her a lot in her chosen sport.

"I think it takes a lot of ability to focus. When I compete there is a lot going on in the pool at the same time - there are swim meets, they have the gun going off for them to start and there is a lot of cheering, and diving on its own is a really quiet sport," she said.

"You have to have the ability to focus, you can't get scared easily and you can't be afraid to fail."

Horton-Perinchief met the qualifying mark for the Games back in August and has achieved that same score at several meets since.

"As the only diver in Bermuda the country didn't have to select me so to speak, I just had to make the score," she said. "When I made the score my mum just informed me that I had qualified."

Being the lone Islander in the event has been a help, she believes.

"I guess it should make it a little easier because there are not really any expectations placed on me since no one has done this since Goose Gosling went to the Olympics," she said. "There's no pressure but as the first I want to leave a bit of an impression on the world so that they don't think we are just going because we can send somebody. I want to let them know that we are also serious."

Horton-Perinchief is realistic about her chances though, and said a good Games for her would be achieving a personal best score.

"The girls there have had a lot more exposure, a lot more experience, so they are better equipped for the meets," said the 1998 Canadian junior champion. "Also, I will be one of the younger divers in the competition so really it's not all about winning this time, it's definitely about exposure and experience."