Wilkinson gives back at home in The Woodlands

(The Woodlands, Tex.) - Laura Wilkinson was a gymnast. She had always been a gymnast. So when at age 14 she became too tall to continue pursuing gymnastics, she had to find something new.

She tried tennis, track and field, softball, and even joined her high school's drill team, but nothing felt right.

And then she found diving. Fifteen years later, Wilkinson not only lived up to her dream of competing in the Olympics-three of them, in fact-she is now the most successful American diver ever.

"Diving is always lumped in with swimming, which is great because we love swimmers, but we really don't have much in common," Wilkinson said. "We are more like gymnastics than swimming and I think every diver on the [2008 Beijing Olympic] team this year was a former gymnast."

The transition worked out for Wilkinson, and now she wants to help young divers make the same transition successfully.

When Wilkinson found out that her diving facility in The Woodlands, Tex., would soon be closing, the Laura Wilkinson Foundation was born. The Foundation's first initiative is to build a state-of-the-art facility not only for diving, but also for gymnastics, dance and more.

"We want to put all of them under the same roof so somebody like me, who quits a sport, can easily find another sport to suit their skill set," Wilkinson said. "We want to bring them all together, and that's never been done before."

Early estimates suggest the facility will cost between $10 million and  $15 million, and Wilkinson expects the final product to be one of the finest diving facilities in the world.

"It was pretty hard and we didn't really have any options," Wilkinson said of learning that the Woodlands Athletic Center, her training facility of 15 years, would be closing. "It's been a difficult road and it's been an opportunity for us. Instead of being upset that it's gone, we see the opportunity to create something from this that is so much better."

The foundation was created in November 2007, but now that Wilkinson has retired from diving, things are starting to pick up. The three-time Olympian is playing the jack-of-all-trades, doing event planning, fundraising, media relations and working with the foundation's website.

Wilkinson graduated from the University of Texas in 2001 with a degree in public relations, but this is the first time she has been able to use it. She is currently in the process of planning the Foundation's first big event. An auction and gala called the Night of Champions will be held on April 18 in The Woodlands.

"It's a big learning curve," Wilkinson said. "This is all brand new for me but I've had a lot of wonderful volunteers so far."

Once the project secures funding, construction of the new facility will take approximately 18 months. No specific timeline exists right now, but when asked when she would like to see the new complex finished, Wilkinson smartly responded, "yesterday."

Wilkinson's answer underscores the urgency surrounding the project.  When the Woodlands Athletic Center closed Jan. 1, the current divers were left with few options. Some divers go to local high school natatoriums for springboard workouts, but they have to drive 30 miles to the University of Houston or 80 miles to Texas A&M for platform workouts.

"There are some kids in our diving program with true potential to be Olympic athletes in four to eight years," Wilkinson said. "I just think about those kids. I want to do this for them because I can't imagine what that feels like."

The Woodlands Athletic Center had been around for 35 years and was well recognized in the diving community-10 of the approximate 40 athletes at the 2008 U.S. Olympic Trials had ties to the WAC. It was Wilkinson's only home facility, and she plans to keep the signature outdoor diving well at the proposed complex.

"There's nothing like diving outside," Wilkinson said. "It's just awesome, especially in this area where it's forested. You get that nice peaceful feel. It's awesome."

Wilkinson has come a long way since her first dives, practicing her gymnastic flips into her family pool. Back then, she never would have thought that she would become the only woman in history to win gold at all three major championships-the Olympics (2004), World Cup (2004) and World Championships (2005)-nor that she would be a three-time Olympian (2000, 2004 and 2008).

After completing her final dive at the 2008 Beijing Olympics-she finished ninth on the 10-meter platform-Wilkinson continued her dedication to the sport by focusing on the future of American diving.

"I just really love what I do," Wilkinson said. "A lot of people are very serious and very focused and never show that they are having a good time. But I can be serious and focused and still have a good time."

Her positive approach and persistence have been duly noted.  Upon returning to the US, Wilkinson and the Foundation received a public thank-you in a speech by President George W. Bush.

"And I urge all of us-whether we're ... Olympians or not-to recognize the opportunity to make the communities in which we live a better place," Bush said. "Laura, welcome and thank you for the example you have set."

Even in retirement, Wilkinson continues to raise the bar in the sport of diving.

###

Click here to learn more about the Laura Wilkinson Foundation.

Story courtesy Red Line Editorial, Inc. Chrös McDougall is a freelance contributor for teamusa.org. This story was not subject to the approval of the United States Olympic Committee or any National Governing Bodies.