f you follow the Olympics, you probably remember the 1984 Summer Games. Who can forget the thrill of seeing 16-year-old Mary Lou Retton winning the gymnastics all around, along with four other gold medals? One of the millions who watched that performance was 7-year-old Laura Wilkinson. "I watched the '84 Olympics and I wanted to be Mary Lou," she remembers. "I was dead set from when I was 7 that I was going to be in the Olympics." But three months before her Olympics trials as a diver, disaster struck.

Troubled waters

Laura accepted Christ as her Savior when she was 8. In high school, she realized that even though she loved the worship services at her church, something wasn't right. The kids in the youth group went to church and then hung out in a local burger place. Outside the church, they were totally different. It seemed like they were trying to see who was the best at cutting someone else down. She slowly stopped going to church.

Diver Laura Wilkinson at U.S. Summer Nationals in 2004.

At a diving meet during her sophomore year of college, she realized that things were spiraling out of control. She had lost a lot of people close to her, her grades were falling and she felt like diving was the only thing left in her life. Then Laura became disoriented during her dive and started getting lost in the air. In the middle of the meet, she lost her confidence and control of her dives.

Laura began to see that diving was not her life – it was a gift that God gave her. "I realized that I didn't know what was best for me," she explains. "I gave my life back to God in that meet, and I haven't looked back since then."

She still had doubts regarding her diving. Before the 2000 Olympics, Laura left school to go home to train. She knew that would mean that she would lose her college scholarship and she didn't have the money to finance her training on her own. Laura prayed a lot about it, and God opened doors. Her dad found an agent and she got her first sponsorship. That paid the rent so she could be close enough to the pool. "It was perfect. I really felt like God wanted me to do this – it was really his plan for me," she explains.

Once again, just when things seemed to be turning around, another disaster struck. Three months before the Olympic trials, she broke her foot. She wouldn’t be able to even get into the water until three weeks before the Olympic trials.

In spite of the storm

It is a testimony to the faith that grew in Laura over the years that, in spite of the fact that her training was curtailed, she went on to the trials. In fact, when asked what she would call her "defining moment," she doesn’t talk about gold medals or participating in three Olympics. Her defining moment was just making the 2000 Olympic team. Laura explains, "I have great memories of the 2000 Olympics, but making that team was the highlight for me. When I was feeling my most hopeless, God was there. I knew that when I had nothing else to cling to, I could cling to him."

Laura Wilkinson speaking on the 2007 Revolve Tour.

Another relationship became very important to Laura at that time. From the beginning, she and diving teammate Kimiko Soldati really liked each other and wanted to be friends. But Laura felt a little threatened when Kimiko came to train with Laura’s team. "All I saw was, this girl's here and I am just coming back from my broken foot. She is getting all the attention from my coach. She is doing very well and I'm way behind," recalls Laura.

Kimiko, now a commentator and mom of two boys, says, "Laura never ever came off to me personally in any sort of negative way. She kept that to herself. She never once made me feel uncomfortable in the pool. She never made me feel like I was trying to take her place by any means. She was always welcoming and friendly."

At that time, Kimiko had just recently become a Christian. They put God in the center of their relationship and became very supportive of each other. Laura goes on, "We ended up being synchronized diving partners for several years and made a run at the Olympics in 2004. We continue to have an absolutely amazing relationship. We still talk all the time, even though Kimiko moved away."

Kimiko describes their relationship: "You can be positive, but the reality of life is that it kind of stinks sometime. The neat thing about Laura is that she is very authentic and positive. We have gone through so much stuff and shared so much together that there is a deep bond. If we don't communicate that often, it doesn't really matter. When we do get together, it is like we were never apart. That is something that is special and unique, and I treasure it."

A higher platform

Popular with teen audiences, Laura Wilkinson speaks on the 2007 Revolve Tour.

Laura is the only woman in the world to win all three world meets on platform – the Olympic Games, World Cup and World Championship. Her experiences in diving opened doors for her to speak to people in a variety of venues including The Revolve Tour, which is totally dedicated to teenage girls and the problems they face. Laura was passionate about The Revolve Tour because she trained with teenagers. "When I spoke to those kids, it was like talking to the kids on my team. It really hit home, and I loved it." She was on the tour through 2007; then she stopped to train for the Olympics.

Now her audiences vary from schools to men's business conferences. Her story inspires people across the demographic spectrum. Chad Eastham, author of "The Truth About Guys" and "Guys Like Girls Who …" and a regular speaker on The Revolve Tour, says, "I really could write forever about Laura and how remarkable and humble she is. She didn't seem to understand how her getting on a stage and talking for a few minutes about diving and God could actually do anything for anyone. She seemed to not comprehend why listening to her would matter in any way to teenage girls. Yet there were 8,000 girls weekly who cried, cheered and were truly inspired to reach for their own gold. Just listening to her share her heart was enough to mean the world to them. I'm still not sure she understands that just being herself has such an effect on others."

Even though she no longer dives competitively, Laura is still involved in the sport. "I never thought I would still be diving when I was 30, but I still had the passion for it, and I knew I could do more. I am really glad I did."

Early this year, the center where she trained all of her diving career was torn down. She established the Laura Wilkinson Foundation to raise money to build a new training facility. This one will take advantage of her experiences growing up in gymnastics and migrating to diving later on. She and her coach designed a multipurpose training center for the acrobatic sports – gymnastics, trampoline, dance and diving.

The new facility will also have swim classes for babies and geriatric aquatic programs. Mary Lou Retton will be part of the Night of Champions, the first major fundraiser for the foundation. "The Foundation is what I am focused on right now," says Laura. "It has been a good avenue since diving because it keeps me close to my team. I still love those kids so much that they are like my family. I want to see the U.S. team regain their position as world leaders in diving."

Married since 2002, Laura and her husband Eriek hope to extend that family with their own children soon. Even her marriage relationship had its trials at first. Eriek was not a believer when they first started dating. "We dated for six months before my first Olympics, and he has been there for all of my Olympics ever since. He came to know Jesus six months before we got married, which was a huge answer to my prayers," she explains.

They went to church together, but he didn't seem to hear what was said. When it came time for their premarital counseling, Laura decided she needed to explain the situation to the pastor who would be counseling them. She went in the day before their session. "I told him that Eriek was becoming more open, but I didn't think it would be good to get into that in the counseling because he might push it away."

When they sat down in the pastor's office the next day, the first thing that came out of his mouth was, "Well, Eriek, do you think you are going to heaven?" She nearly fell out of her chair. Eriek replied “yes,” and the pastor asked him why he felt that way. "I am a pretty good person," Eriek replied. The pastor looked him in the eye and asked, "How good is good enough?" That was just what it took. Eriek said, "I have no idea."

The pastor laid out the Gospel and what Christ did for us, and Eriek invited Jesus into his heart. "I was sitting right there when he prayed the prayer to invite Christ into his heart. That night, he wanted to read the Bible and he was soaking up every word," Laura beams. "The change has been dramatic. He now teaches an adult Sunday School class and is such an incredible spiritual leader. It has been so inspiring to me."

Laura Wilkinson is still just as focused as she was during her Olympic years. You can feel her intensity when she talks about the new training facility, but the passion in her voice really comes out when she talks about family. That family includes the kids on her diving team and those teenagers where she has an opportunity to speak. The Revolve Tour is still a highlight of her speaking career.
Even if Laura had never won an Olympic gold medal, she would still be a champion. Her quest in life is to make a difference in people's lives. Whether she talks about her career, her husband, the Foundation or teens, it’s clear that Laura is in it for others.

Laura Wilkinson, November 2007. Photo credit: NBC Olympics.