Feeling rejuvenated, Boudia training for fourth Olympic Games
There was a point not all that long ago that David Boudia thought his diving career would likely soon be over.
In fact, his wife probably would have called him insane if she had learned he wanted to continue his career following the Rio Games in 2016, after she had seen how mentally exhausting training had been. But that was then; a year of reflection has rejuvenated the three-time Olympian and Gold medalist, making Boudia eager for another run.
“So when I told Sonnie after I had talked to (Purdue diving coach) Adam (Soldati), she was like, ‘Are you serious about this?’” the former NCAA champion Purdue diver said at a press conference Tuesday afternoon in Mackey Arena. “But the more Sonnie and I talked and tried to set up a plan for the next three years, the more and more comfortable and supportive she was and has been.”
The decision involved a bit of soul-searching for Boudia, now a father of two following the birth of his second daughter Aug. 24. He admits that the lead up to Rio was mentally taxing, with his drive not where it had been previously. Still, he won a silver medal in the 10-meter synchro with Steele Johnson, a Purdue diver, and bronze in the individual platform. But the former Boilermaker needed an extended break, then talked to Soldati in January and March before finalizing a training plan in June. He’s been in the pool since, working back off the 10 pounds he had gained.
Boudia thought the opportunity to reach others — he’s had speaking gigs since the last Olympics — was still too great, and he didn’t want to let that slip away.
“The amount of opportunities I had to go on a stage and speak, whether it was on a secular audience or a faith-based audience — it’s no secret that my faith is my No. 1 driver — being able to see how many I can impact on this big stage, it’s a huge responsibility,” he said. “There’s a lot of weight to it, and I just want to try to be as faithful as I can.
"I look back on the last four years leading up to Rio and saw a lot of missed opportunities where I could have been a better mentor to my teammates, been more loving to the people coming up to me. And I believe God is giving me this platform to be able to use it for Him. That’s a big driver for why I wanted to do this, be that positive influence to the world that’s looking at diving.”
Boudia also wants to compete. Soldati and USA Diving CEO Lee Johnson, who also attended Tuesday’s press conference, say there’s not yet a plan for his events. He could pair again with Johnson, as both train at Purdue under Soldati, or maybe it’ll be something else.
But Boudia has had a long history of success, from his six NCAA titles to the individual gold in the ’12 London Games, when he also took bronze with Nick McCrory, to his fifth in the synchro in ’08 in Beijing.
And he wants to give it another shot.
“I don’t want to be 35- to 40-years-old and say, ‘Well, what if I would have given it another shot?’ It’s too late at that point,” he said. “I was healthy and I think (before) I was listening to more people saying it’s time to give this up, give up the suit, instead of kind of listening to my body and seeing an opportunity to glorify God in these next three years.”
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