However, Boudia soon found he didn’t enjoy being back on the 10-meter platform, where he had won all of his Olympic medals, including the individual gold in 2012. David Boudia Wins 3-meter National Title, Makes World Championship Team Team USA After becoming one of the most decorated divers in U.S. history on the 10-meter platform, three-time Olympian and four-time Olympic medalist David Boudia’s transition to … After his third Games at Rio 2016, Boudia suffered a concussion whilst diving off a 10m platform, forcing him to re-evaluate his discipline and ultimately choose to leave his 10m platform career behind and pursue the 3m springboard for Tokyo. He is a freelance contributor to TeamUSA.org on behalf of Red Line Editorial, Inc. Diver David Boudia Returns To Competition For First Time Since 2016 Olympics, Medals On 3-meter, Bridget O’Neil Wins Youth Olympic Diving Bronze – 94 Years After Her Great-Uncle’s Olympic Gold, Youth Olympic Diver Jack Matthews Talks Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder And His Mentality At The Games, Oh The Places They’ll Go: See The Amazing Things Summer Youth Olympians Have Gone On To Do, 8 Of The Most Memorable Videos From The 2018 Team USA Summer Champions Series. It’s more important than ever that we talk about how we feel and seek advice from those around us. It was his first time competing since earning the synchronized silver and individual bronze medals on 10-meter platform at the 2016 Olympics. by Taylor Brien 14 May 2018, 02:07pm Olympic diver David Boudia has announced via Instagram that he will be taking a break from diving to recover from a concussion. He’ll then train heavily in the hopes of posting a strong showing at the 2019 world championships and qualifying for the Tokyo Olympics. But he wasn’t prepared for the impact that achieving this would have on his mental health and the deep depression that would accompany his new-found success. Steele Alexander Johnson (born June 16, 1996) is an Olympic silver medal-winning American diver.He has won multiple national titles at both the junior and college levels. U.S. diver Steele Johnson won a silver medal Monday in Rio de Janeiro with teammate David Boudia for men’s synchronized 10-meter platform diving. Boudia also switched events. To reach our full potential, we have to dream big but having such high expectations of ourselves can come at a cost. All five of Boudia’s world medals come from platform events. After winning his third and fourth Olympic medals in 2016 in Rio, Boudia had taken a break from the sport to explore what else life had to offer, only to decide in fall 2017 to make a comeback. "The lights turned out and it was like I was this average Joe again.". Empower Team USA athletes to achieve sustained competitive excellence and well-being. “I was pretty miserable in training up on platform for the past year and a half, and since making the switch I actually enjoy going to practice. Despite Steele’s struggle with his memory, he went on to compete in the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. He had an undeniable feeling that “I have no desire whatsoever to dive off this ever again.”. 2020 - All rights reserved, What Moves Me | David Boudia: Valuing the journey, Boudia on new goals after diving "head first from a three-storey building", Finals - Men's 10m Platform | London 2012 Replays. Looking for breaking news, videos, Olympic and Paralympic team bios all at your fingertips? “This kind of helps set the road to say I do actually have a very legitimate shot to contend for medals in Tokyo in this event,” Boudia told TeamUSA.org on Thursday, between the semifinals and final at the Gold Coast competition. The challenge of the 3m springboard reignited his passion for the sport. Nov. 20, 2018, 12:01 a.m. (ET). David found out later that the coach had said he would never be good enough to compete at the highest level due to his having a “banana back.” Boudia remembers this as the moment that triggered his “turbo self,” a hyper-competitive drive to excel. David Bou... TM © Olympic Channel Services S.L. Feeling rejuvenated and in the best shape of his career, Boudia returned to competition this past week at the FINA Gold Coast Grand Prix in Southport, Australia, where he finished second on the springboard. The pair will star in ongoing in-store activations, exclusive behind-the-scenes videos, and a flyaway consumer sweepstakes, bringing to life how to “Refresh the … It just takes time to get the rhythm. “I didn’t want to look down the road watching Tokyo from my couch saying, ‘I could have done that physically. It likely was accelerated by a concussion he suffered during training nearly a year and a half ago. Each Tuesday leading up to the Games, TeamUSA.org will present a nugget you should read about – from athletes to watch to storylines to follow to Japanese culture and landmarks – as part of “Tokyo 2020 Tuesday.” Follow along on social media with the hashtag #Tokyo2020Tuesday. “Let’s say you drive a sedan your entire life and you step out and you get into a truck, and the feel is just different,” Boudia said. It takes experience and competition.”. He won the gold medal in the 10 metre platform diving competition at the 2012 Summer Olympics and the bronze medal in the same event at the 2016 Summer Olympics. “All of those together created an explosion, and so I went up on (the) 10-meter (platform) and crashed,” Boudia said. While sidelined, he made some major changes to his life. David Boudia, U.S. Olympic gold medallist diver, struggled to ride the high... At the age of 11, in suburban Indianapolis, Boudia’s ambitions began to take shape as he worked towards becoming a top athlete. The injury nearly cost him his life. His father would make him pre-training breakfast at 6am each day and his mother would drive him to the pool for practice. "I wanted to succeed and achieve the dream that I had, and I spent hours thinking about how I could get that done.". ©2020 United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee. Being at the Games was a rollercoaster that saw him experience the highs of competing among the world’s top athletes contrasted with days when he felt inexplicably low. While competing there, he won a silver medal in the 10m synchro competition alongside partner David Boudia. Boudia, whose favorite dive is 109C, enjoys anything competitive (football, basketball, soccer, etc.) What am I doing? The 29-year-old said he just about belly-flopped in a February crashed dive in platform practice, the worst he had missed a dive … The 29-year-old Boudia decided after talking with his wife, Sonnie, that he had to put some things on hold if he was going to make a serious run at qualifying for his fourth Olympics — the Tokyo 2020 Games. If this sounds familiar, then you’re not alone; around one in five young Americans now struggle with their mental health. Just weeks before, he’d been rubbing shoulders with the elite U.S Olympic team, achieving the goals he’d set for himself as a child and now he was walking through campus like everyone else. Boudia was named to the 2008 U.S. Olympic team in the 10-meter platform and in the synchronized 10-meter platform event with former synchro partner Thomas Finchum. Throughout this process, he has also learned the importance of finding a balance between work and life to avoid burning out again. He was diagnosed with a concussion. It’s a new challenge, so it makes it a lot more exciting.”, While in Australia, Boudia climbed up the 10-meter platform and looked around the pool. After his return to competition in Australia, Boudia’s schedule will intensify with the 2018 USA Diving Winter Trials in Atlanta in mid-December. The 2019 World Championships marked Boudia’s first real test in his new event, where he finished fifth. "Value the journey and not just the medal you might win.". Boudia, the 2012 Olympic platform champion and four-time medalist, switched after returning to training in early summer from a February concussion. ... Men’s 3-meter: David Boudia. He was unaware of the condition for some time and continued to train and dive, until he began having spells of dizziness, blackouts, numbness, and fatigue. After appearing timid in the preliminaries, Boudia admitted he needed several “rough” dives in Southport to “kind of flip that switch in” and finish first in his semifinal group. After two more medals – silver and bronze – in Rio four years later, Boudia took time off from diving. David Boudia was feeling sick, worn down and so overwhelmed that he knew it was only a matter of time before he crashed. ‘I gotta commend him for just getting back onto that platform,’ chipped in judge and Olympic Gold medalist David Boudia. “And that’s when I kind of took a step back and prioritized what’s most important right now.”. ", “The 10-meter is different than the springboard. The summer before he began his sophomore year at Purdue University, he became more and more depressed. Why did I not try?’” Boudia said. He's also training his spirit and his heart and hopes to inspire others with his message. It was at this point that Boudia knew he needed help. David Boudia looks up after diving from an 8-meter cliff at the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series on July 22, 2017 in Polignano a Mare, Italy. reading, video games and hanging out with friends. After excelling in the 10m platform, David Boudia suffered concussion and retired from diving. After taking a break from the sport following a concussion in early 2018, four-time Olympic medalist David Boudia made the switch from platform to 3-meter springboard. Olympic diving champion David Boudia was supposed to be in Tokyo right now. By Alex Abrams | At its worst, depression can be debilitating; Boudia struggled to get out of bed and avoided talking to his friends or going to class and practice. According to Boudia, he began to feel anxiety on the 10-meter platform. If you are struggling with your mental health, it often feels as though there is no one you can trust to confide in, but from Boudia’s experience, just getting your emotions out and letting go of the expectations of your life’s journey is the best step you can take. Four-time Olympic diving medalist David Boudia is missing this week’s national championships and next month’s FINA World Cup, the biggest competition of the year, due to a concussion suffered in a crash off the 10m platform. Of course, Boudia has had to adjust to diving off the 3-meter springboard, which is like jumping off a one-story building compared to the greater heights where he made his mark. Johnson made his Olympic debut at the 2016 Rio Games, where he won a silver medal with David Boudia in the men's 10 m synchronized platform diving competition. Boudia experienced dizziness, blackouts and fatigue following his dive in February that went horribly wrong. He hated training, and his stress level was “extremely high” as he tried juggling being a husband, a father and a budding real estate entrepreneur. So when he did just that, dropping from a platform the height of a three-story building only to slam into the water and become concussed, it wasn’t a total surprise for the three-time Olympic diver. This advice is something that Boudia has had to draw on again since recovering from depression because, as he discovered, life isn’t a linear journey. “It was time for a change,” said Boudia, who won three of his six NCAA titles on 3-meter event while competing at Purdue. Boudia experienced dizziness, blackouts and fatigue following his dive in February that went horribly wrong. After excelling in the 10m platform, David Boudia suffered concussion and retired from diving. Johnson and his teammate, fellow Indiana native David Boudia, were consistent through all six rounds en route to winning silver behind China’s gold medal tandem. Boudia and Finchum were 2009 World Championship (Rome) Silver Medalists, and 2007 World Championship (Melbourne) Bronze Medalists. “So you know how to drive, but driving a truck is just different than driving a sedan and so the same on the events. It wasn’t long before he transitioned into diving, a sport which would later see him winning a gold medal at London 2012 and would also play a vital part in his battle with depression. Olympic gold medalist and Purdue alum David Boudia is already looking ahead to Tokyo in 2020. Boudia experienced this first-hand. According to a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), it’s now the second leading cause of death among young Americans. While in Rio, Steele won a silver medal with teammate David Boudia for men’s synchronized 10-meter platform diving, and finally opened up for the first time about his memory loss… Unwavering Faith Boudia announced his return to diving in September 2017, then suffered his concussion during training in February 2018. The Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 run July 24-Aug. 9, 2020, and while they may be nearly 20 months away there’s a lot to learn on your quest to becoming the ultimate fan. Boudia suffered a concussion this past year, which played a large part in why he made the switch to the 3-meter board. RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL - AUGUST 08: David Boudia and Steele Johnson of the United States compete in … That included recognising that success is as much about the journey as it is about the end goal and learning to enjoy it by not worrying about what he can’t control along the way. David Alasdair Boudia /boʊˈdaɪə/ (born April 24, 1989) is an American diver. From a young age, he was always driven by what he now feels were superficial goals; fame, riches and notoriety. After his third Games at Rio 2016, Boudia suffered a concussion whilst diving off a 10m platform, forcing him to re-evaluate his discipline and ultimately choose to leave his 10m platform career behind and pursue the 3m springboard for Tokyo. What’s the point in all of this?". To everyone else, it seemed as if he had it all. After earning two medals in Rio, Boudia took 2017 off from diving to sell homes. Why am I here? "What’s the purpose? Boudia said several factors went into the decision for him to start diving from 3 meters, which he hadn’t competed in at an elite level internationally since 2014. For Johnson, it was the final step to overcoming a horrific head injury he endured seven years earlier while practicing his diving. He also won a bronze medal with Nick McCrory in the men's syn He retired an Olympic champion and four-time medallist in one diving event,... Boudia’s experience isn’t uncommon - in the last two decades, the suicide rate among people aged 10 to 24 has increased dramatically by over 50%. More than the physical toll, though, Boudia admitted he would have retired without a doubt had he not switched events. Shortly after announcing his return to diving, Boudia suffered a concussion that kept him away from most of 2018 competition. But, he luckily only suffered a minor concussion. That knocked him out of … When Boudia was 12 years old, a legendary Olympic coach came to his pool. "I wanted to just lay in bed and not think about anything - to the point where it got so bad that I contemplated suicide.”. Once he returned in 2018, he suffered a concussion on a training dive from the 10m platform in February, sparking his switch to 3m springboard. It tends to be an event for younger divers, not a married man with two daughters and a real estate license like Boudia. He was forced to miss several major competitions this year because of the concussion. — David Boudia. His preparation involves more than just reps in the swimming pool. He was managing 15 clients on top of training full-time. Then, in a February 2018 workout, he lost his position in the air on his favorite dive — a back 3 ½ pike — and smacked the water. Want to learn to curl like the pros? The challenge of the 3m springboard reignited his passion for the sport. The challenge of the 3m springboard reignited his passion for the sport. But why did Boudia not just retire from diving and relax at home with his family and sell real estate? He has a simple way of explaining the difference. Discover more about David Boudia’s journey in our new original series, What Moves Me, in partnership with Toyota. Boudia's move from platform to springboard is a natural progression for divers. His family, who were already Olympics fanatics, were a strong support system whose work ethic inspired him to aim high. If Boudia could offer any advice to his younger self for getting back on track mentally, it would be to open up. “It was kind of a good wakeup call snapping on the water to kind of open up my eyes and (see) what am I doing now that’s going to get me to where I want to be in the future,” he said. Upon his return to competition, a serious concussion suffered after a training incident led the diver to change tack, switching to the lower 3m springboard. Boudia’s mental health began to deteriorate after representing the United States at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games when he was just 19. david boudia, katrina young, & michael hixon highlight 2019 world championships week – diving, beginning tonight at 8 p.m. et on olympic channel: home of team usa U.S. Women’s Diving Ends 14-Year Individual Medal Drought with Performances by Sarah Bacon & Delaney Schnell Alex Abrams has written about Olympic sports for more than 15 years, including as a reporter for major newspapers in Florida, Arkansas and Oklahoma. As a seven-year-old gymnast, David Boudia remembers watching his first Olympic Games, Atlanta 1996, and dreaming of competing on the world stage. Find out why the American is now targeting a fifth Olympic medal in Tokyo. His first step back to Olympic diving began by simply communicating that he was struggling to his coach, Adam Soldati, and Boudia’s now wife of 10 years, Sonnie Brand. Boudia's journey to Olympic 10m platform gold at London 2012 wasn't just a physical battle, it was a mental one too. David Boudia, a four-time medalist aiming for his fourth Olympic Games, has been dealt a setback in his diving comeback. He finished the final with 422.05 points, just 7.40 points behind Australia’s Kevin Chavez. Follow on . As part of ZICO’s Olympic campaign, she will be featured in a series of promotions, along with diver David Boudia. With his past synchro partner, Nick McCrory, they achieved Bronze medals at the 2012 Summer Olympics. The pressure to achieve can be crippling and in the moments we don’t succeed, being too critical of ourselves can cause us to spiral into depression. This event took place on 11/08/12 at the Aquatics centre, London. But concentrating all of his efforts on the fleeting goal of winning was damaging to his mental health. Despite the encouragement from his parents, he was always very independent, wanting to figure everything out on his own - but it soon became apparent that this way of living was detrimental. Download the Team USA app today. He has spent the past five months training to dive off the 3-meter springboard, after winning a combined nine Olympic and world medals on the platform, including four in synchronized, dating back to 2007. Boudia, 29, a former Noblesville resident … Yet in an odd way, the crash brought him some much-needed clarity. Being open and honest about how he felt allowed him to begin the process of recovery, step by step. In February 2018 he sustained a concussion as a result of a 10m diving accident. Diving off the 10-meter platform takes a toll on an Olympian’s joints. Growing up, he enjoyed a normal childhood in the Midwest. All Rights Reserved. ‘But I can tell you weren’t happy with that dive,’ he said. 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