Exciting News Is Coming!

Earlier this month I mentioned The Fog is Lifting. I began this new leap of faith without being able to fully see where I was jumping. Because He asked me to. Because I trust Him.

It's exciting and terrifying. I'm going to be putting myself out there in a whole new way and there are fears, like anything new we face. I fear a lot of things in this process, but I realize that all of my fears are of things I can't see and can't control.

But the great and exciting part is: I've jumped! I'm in the free fall and it's exhilarating! God has given me a new passion, a new joy, and I'm head-over-heels! And the best part...

It's for you! Yes, you.

I can't share all the details yet, but I've been working like crazy the last few weeks. I'm super close to unveiling my new website and all the excitement. Stay tuned. Until then, I leave you with some fun facts for the day. Enjoy.

The Fog Is Lifting

The last three months have been a bit foggy. Jobs were lost and sleep disappeared. We've been stumbling along, hands out in front attempting not to bump into anything, slightly disoriented in the haze of our sleep-deprived and over-stressed brains.

We've been down this road before. No jobs, no insurance and pregnant. It was a scary time, but it turned in to a beautiful, wonderful season of trust and growth. Because we trusted God, He grew us right out of our comfort zone and into dependence on Him and not this world.

I'll admit, it's still a bit scary. But because we've been down this road before, it makes it easier to trust God with the outcome. I know this time around the road has a different destination, but I trust the Driver 100%. I just threw the map out the window and have decided to enjoy the ride and any scenic stops we make along the way.

The fog seems to be lifting slightly, and we're starting to see a vague idea of what lies ahead.

That was a text conversation with Hubby this afternoon. This journey reminds me a lot of the first time I jumped off the 10 meter platform. I was scared and intimidated. My friends that had already jumped were watching and waiting for me to go. I didn't want to let them down. I didn't want to be a chicken. But I kept looking over the edge, and I was so overwhelmed with fear I was nearly paralyzed.

But in those moments at the top, I remembered I had climbed up there determined to jump off. My desire to jump was greater than the fear holding me captive at the top. Even though I was still scared, I gathered up the little bit of courage I did have and jumped.

This was my home on the 10 meter at the Woodlands Athletic Center
where I trained for 15 years.

It was terrifying and awesome all at once. And I wanted to do it again. I was hooked. When I got back to the top, the fear crept back into my brain, but the difference this time was I knew I would enjoy the free fall.

So this time, I'm choosing to enjoy the jump, the journey, the road ahead. Every time I have trusted God over believing the lie of fear, He has caught me. When I keep my eyes focused on Jesus, I don't sink below the waves of this world.

Thank You, Lord, for giving me the opportunity to take another leap of faith. Thank You for stretching me, growing me, encouraging me, and reminding me that You are bigger than any fear I face.  Thank You for telling me to join you on the water so I can focus on You instead of the storm.

Workin' Mama

Most days I'm a stay-at-home mom. But on occasion, I get to travel, make speeches and talk about diving on tv.

Sometimes, I feel like I have an alter ego. That might also be why I'm slightly obsessed with being a superhero. I digress...

At home I'm just an everyday, regular mom trying to keep up with my kids. On good days I may attempt to shower and get dressed. I'm constantly making dashes to the toilet with toddlers or asking for privacy in my own bathroom. There is constant repetition, constant repetition, and I'm usually trying to translate toddler speak to English in my head. Although my house may not look it, I am in a perpetual state of cleaning.

Just to show you how un-Pinterest perfect I am, here's a little snippet of my real, everyday life. This is me in all my smelly, unshowered, greasy-haired glory sporting a Tom Petty shirt with USA pajamas attempting to do an ab exercise. And this picture was taken after Hubby got home from work one afternoon.

A few weeks ago I flew with just the baby to Connecticut to be a working mom of sorts. You may have read about that lovely travel experience here. My mother-in-law came to watch the baby while I went to work. It was so weird to have someone there ready to watch the baby every morning as soon as we woke up and even at night so I could go to dinner a few times with colleagues. I could shower each day, take my time, drink an entire coffee before it went cold and talk to adults on a regular basis. It was kind of like summer camp for moms.

 And I think Grandma had a little fun, too!

I won the lottery on mother-in-laws ya'll, seriously.

Basically, I got to hang out at the NBC Sports building for a week to watch and commentate diving for the 2014 Youth Olympic Games. I thought it might be fun to give you a little behind-the-scenes look at life in the studio.

And yes, I'm a dork.

We had a special "green room" just for us. That pretty much means "waiting room" in non-tv talk. Although there is a little brainstorming that goes on here, too. Plus you get to hang out with cool people like 2008 Olympic silver medal gymnast Alicia (Sacramone) Quinn, 2008 & 2012 track Olympian Nick Symmonds, 2000 Olympic beach volleyball player Kevin Wong, sportscasters Jim Watson and Jason Knapp and, of course, our rockin' producer Lena Glaser.

l-r: Jason, me, Alicia, Jim

l-r: Lena, Kevin, Jim

Since the competition was in China and aired prime time in the states later that day, we watched the competition in a sound proof booth while commentating. I would always rather watch a competition live and be in the middle of the action, but voicing over is fun, too. It's not the same adrenaline pumping pressure as filming live, but we're still watching the event for the first time and calling it like it is live.

Jim & I in the booth- our home for the week.

It's always easy when you have the opportunity to work with a great team! Jim was a terrific partner to call diving with. While it was his first time working on diving, he's covered nearly every other sport, including three Olympic Games (2000 Beach Volleyball, 2004 Indoor Volleyball and 2012 Weightlifting), professional and collegiate sports. So he picked it up quickly and every event went smooth. Our producer Lena, the voice in my ear Lee Ann, the almost nerdier-than-me researcher John, the magic editor Rob and the logistics queen Kate put together five great days of diving that showcased junior divers from around the world and gave us a glimpse of what we might see in Rio in 2016.

This is just another cool area in the building near our little booth that kind of looks like mission control for sports. Actually, I think that's exactly what it is.

But it wasn't all work and no play. My friend and 2012 diving Olympian, Cassidy Krug, came to hang with us one morning. We always have fun together!

And even though I was working, I came home each day to just one little one, so I got lots of extra snuggles that made my mama heart happy.

Overall, it was a ton of fun, and I truly hope to do more diving events in the future. But as much fun as we had, I couldn't wait to get home and squeeze these two dolls and kiss them to pieces.

Diving TV Schedule for the Youth Olympic Games

NBC has given me the exciting opportunity to commentate diving for the 2014 Youth Olympic Games. 

Diving begins tomorrow in Nanjing, China. It will air each night on NBCSN and highlights from each week's events will air on the following Sunday on NBC.

The air dates and times (ET) are as follows:

Sat., August 23          9-11 p.m.            NBCSN

Sun., August 24          Noon-1 p.m.       NBC
                                  9-10 p.m.           NBCSN

Mon., August 25         7-9 p.m.             NBCSN

Tues., August 26         7-9 p.m.            NBCSN

Wed., August 27         7-8 p.m.              NBCSN

Sun., August 31          12:30-1:30 p.m.    NBC

Coverage can also be accessed at

http://stream.nbcsports.com/liveextra/

Good luck to all of the divers and other athletes competing!

The Ignorant Parent- Letters to Elizabeth

The Ignorant Parent posts are a series that some friends and I thought would be fun to write from our different perspectives on various topics. Our goal is to encourage you when you need to be lifted up, to show you hope in every situation, to let you know that you are never alone and to glorify God with the stories that He has written for our lives. For more background on who we are and how we know each other, check out our bio page.

The other day I asked Elizabeth to write from her heart about her journey to race in the Ironman. She finished her first one in Lake Tahoe last summer. On Sunday, she will race again. This time in Boulder, Colorado, alongside her husband, Travis.

Today, the girls and I wrote letters to Elizabeth to encourage her for this big day and to let her know just how much she has encouraged us through her faithful journey to the finish line.

Amy

Dear Elizabeth,

How inspiring it is to watch someone take on the world. I know you believe yourself to be just your normal joe-shmoe doing an IronWOMan, but you’re not. You are:

Courageous

Strong

Faithful

Inspiring

Motivating

Captivating

Encouraging

Joyful

And above all, you are showing us what it means to really “run the race” for God. You have shared with us your struggles, and you have displayed that your strength has come solely from the Father. And like God said to Paul, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9)." You are fully living a “Paul” life and “boasting all the more gladly about (your) weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on (you) (2 Corinthians 12:10).”

You may not feel physically worthy of this celebration, but your trials and tribulations through this training for this race make the journey a success! So, Elizabeth, I celebrate you. I congratulate you for being willing to put yourself through the pain in order to run, swim and bike for Christ. This is a journey He has set before you, and you have not shied away from His desire for you. And you will be blessed!

Enjoy the moments of struggle. They make the end result all the more sweeter! I love you Sister-girl.

Your Sister in Christ, Amy

Danielle

To my sweet, strong sister in Christ:

"I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul makes its boast in the Lord; let the humble hear and be glad. Oh, magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt His name together! I sought the Lord and He answered me and delivered me from all my fears. Those who look to Him are radiant..." - Psalm 34:1-5

Elizabeth, you embody, you emanate these verses! When I pray for you, for your race, for your swim, bike and run, I envision your radiance, your love, your strength, your dedication, your faith, your desire for His glory above all.

"I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth."

If you never told me, I would never know about your insecurities, your weaknesses, your questioning, your doubts... If you never told me your times, your place, I would never know you are slower than others or finish close to last or feel weak... Because to me you are leading the pack, you are so strong, because you ARE. You are a leader! You are so strong, and so strong in your faith!

"My soul makes its boast in the Lord; let the humble hear and be glad." 

If you never told me, I would never know your struggle, and I would never see His success, His victory, His glory! If you never told me, I would never be able to share in it, to join you in exalting Him!

"Oh, magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt His name together!"

Elizabeth, He loves to watch you race! He loves your obedience in it, He loves that you seek Him in it, that you pray, that you memorize His Word, that you come to know His deep love for you more and more with every stroke, every pedal, every step. And in it, His radiance shines through you!

"I sought the Lord and He answered me and delivered me from all my fears.
Those who look to Him are radiant..."

Tahoe was just the beginning of the story. Boulder is this chapter. Only He knows what He is planning to write next in this inspiring story of your life! I know you will be faithful, I know you will say "yes", and I know you will continue to inspire us to be more faithful, to be more obedient, to be stronger and to be Boulder (pun intended) in the stories He's writing for our lives too!

"...finish now what you began last year. You were the first, not only to act,

but also to be willing to act. On with it, then, and finish the job!

Be as eager to finish it as you were to plan it, and do it with all you now have."

- 2 Corinthians 8:10-11

I love you! I'll be watching your radiant face cross the finish line, I'll be oh.so.glad, and we'll exalt His name once more together!

Love, Dani

Laura

Oh my sweet Friend,

You amaze me. Not because you are doing an Ironman... for the SECOND time (although that's still crazy amazing!) but because you trust God so BIG that you would take a flying leap of faith and trust Him when He asks you to do something light years out of your comfort zone, maybe even your reality or possibility zone.

You amaze me because you trust Him even when things look like they're falling apart. You praise His name even when you can't see the finish line. You believe Him with your whole heart even when you think you cannot go on. "I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me." -Philippians 4:12-13

 You amaze me because even though it's hard for you to publicly share your journey, you do because you know God wrote you this story to share, to be a light to others, to glorify His name. "...let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven." -Matthew 5:16

You amaze me because you have always tried to see life through our eyes as well, so you could better understand what we were going through. "To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some. I do it all for the sake of the gospel, that I may share with them in its blessings." -1 Corinthians 9:22-23
 
^{You amaze me because your big day is almost here, and even amidst nerves and emotions, your heart is steady. God goes before you and has made your path straight. You are ready to run, friend. This is how you have trained, and I know this is how you will run:}
 
"Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified." -1 Corinthians 9:24-27

Every stroke, every pedal, ever step He has already written into your story. Trust Him now with the results. It's time to enjoy the ride.

Love you sweet sister, La

Elizabeth wants her Ironman to have an impact on others beyond her immediate reach. Please consider joining us in donating to the A21 Campaign. Your donation will help bring healing and justice to a young girl who has been forced into sex trafficking. She can have hope because your gift will help give her a voice. Your donation is important in the fight for freedom and will help sustain every day care (food, clothing, shelter) and legal obligations such as court fees, medical tests and expense for representation.

Follow this link to make an online donation today. 

The Ignorant Parent- Ironman

The Ignorant Parent posts are a series that some friends and I thought would be fun to write from our different perspectives on various topics. Our goal is to encourage you when you need to be lifted up, to show you hope in every situation, to let you know that you are never alone and to glorify God with the stories that He has written for our lives. For more background on who we are and how we know each other, check out our bio page.

Today I asked Elizabeth to write from her heart about her journey to race in the Ironman. She finished her first one in Lake Tahoe last summer. On Sunday, she will race again. This time in Boulder, Colorado, alongside her husband, Travis.

Her words are beautiful and heartfelt. Sport is such a great analogy for life. I think God likes to use it much like He does with the parables- teaching us in easy, tangible ways that will impact us and give us a greater knowledge and deeper wisdom of who He is.

Elizabeth

My Weakness: Where Christ will Shine

I started to use triathlons to boost my confidence and gain some health benefits along the way. That's always been the main drive. The first time, I had just had a baby and needed it physically and mentally. When I signed up for Ironman, I had some health issues that had turned my mind into a black hole of anxiety and brokenness. I needed to take my focus off the hard days of life, to think about something other than healing myself everyday and doing all I could just to feel well.

I am here to win. This life. For my God I desire to the depth of my soul to see others be passionate about the life God has planned for them every day, every detail. To feel how the tiniest steps of obedience in loving others and Christ affects ALL of us. I pray ridiculously that God is able to do exceedingly, abundantly more than I can ask or hope. Not sure why, but I want to go FAST. I want to believe this body is capable. In fact, I am not even average. I am bottom five nearly always. But every once in a while, something happens, and I get a tiny taste of speed and power. It's exhilarating! And even if it's an entire year before I experience it again, I keep trying, pushing, believing God will eventually bring a new level out of me. I know His greatness is in there in all things. I pray and work so hard to be faster, to be more than last place, bottom of the pack. I TRY SO HARD. I use this body the way God made it, but truly the only thing I can do is show up and start the training. Not one of us is built the same. We are all unique. I am crushed and exhilarated all at the same time when my speed is the same as always, but I just did something I shouldn't have been able to finish.

Elizabeth crossing the finish line in Lake Tahoe in 2013.

I have seen the same tiny glimpses of His majesty and power in my life spiritually. The same carrot keeps me seeking Him regularly because when you grab hold of it, you don't want to let it go. Usually reading, writing or meditating on scripture, if I take down my wall and have a little faith that He is using it, He tells me something about where I am in life. To grow in love with Him, to read that He delights in me and believes I am worth the sacrifice to allow a relationship into my life, that is the reason I am alive....Well that takes purpose. It takes discipline. It's never easy to find the time. And if I let go of the noise of the world and pay attention, God shows me how He is a part of it all. Just look for it, it's the tiniest thing that sings to you and seems insignificant to others.

Every swim stroke, pedal stroke, and foot step I am offering to God. I know I am not capable to do this without Him. I feel weak and incapable of finishing any workout, but I believe He wants me to. I overcome my insecurities, my doubts. I say NO to giving in when He has more. And always (what has taken me years to understand and believe) God smiles. He rejoices. Because this is how He has chosen to show me I am worthy. To think I am amazing enough to be loved, whether I am fast or not. It doesn't matter. For yet while we were STILL sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8). Not because we were lucky enough to make it to the podium, or finally go out with the fast group. He loves us as we are, where we are. Nothing we do will change that.

I don't feel like I chose this for my life. In fact, I would say it was the least likely thing for this girl to pursue. I was not ever an athlete. I could not swim without holding my nose (it was a one-armed breast stroke). But I could visualize the peace and rhythm of myself swimming. I would walk when we were suppose to run at school. I still walk into gyms, look around and feel weak. I see others and think God made them stronger and that this fitness/health life and family is easier for them. I watch other moms serve, entertain, organize, craft, and think it's easier for them. I read books and blogs and think they are so smart. I feel this way, but what I believe is that I matter somehow, too. Just like a simple prayer, Bible verse, kind act from a friend or smile from a stranger matters. God is using those simple acts to show you His love. To say you are His BEST. He worked generations upon generations to make you for this time and place. No other parents could have brought you to this world. His plan for you and all the generations it took to create you was laid into play long ago.

I have learned to be open to those divine moments when God is leading my hand. He is always directing us when we desire to go His way and nothing will keep it from happening. "What then are we to say about these things? If God is for us, who can be against (Romans 8:31)?" Turn off the noise and watch for God daily. I don't always listen though. But I know God is for us, so even my own stubbornness or misunderstanding can not be against.

So what I have just come to realize is that I have always felt like God was going to do something "big" in His name with me. Mainly because I want to see His power displayed on earth and have a reason to believe more than with blind faith and little glimpses. The big thing...it's already in the works. It starts when you say "yes" to doing the thing you think you cannot do. And then live by faith, for Him to complete it. A tiny step, turns into something big. I am reading Rhinestone Jesus, and I got caught up in how big her story and work for the kingdom is. And then it hit me: none of it would have happened if she hadn't started her blog, writing. With no real way to see how God was going to use that simple thing and turn it into a HUGE thing. When I signed up for my first Ironman, my son, in the middle of a melt down, said, "Mom, I am so glad you did the right thing. On your phone just now, you did the right thing." Praise God for that with me.

We all need to know when we step out in faith, do the right thing and follow the path you're on, it's the right one. It's yours. You are the only one who can be on it. Don't feel bad for sticking to it or believing in it. You're already shining, beaming with a win. We all win together.

Elizabeth wants her Ironman to have an impact on others beyond her immediate reach. Please consider joining us in donating to the A21 Campaign. Your donation will help bring healing and justice to a young girl who has been forced into sex trafficking. She can have hope because your gift will help give her a voice. Your donation is important in the fight for freedom and will help sustain every day care (food, clothing, shelter) and legal obligations such as court fees, medical tests and expense for representation.

Follow this link to make an online donation today. 

5 Videos That Will Unleash Your Inner Superhero

Today my family was so gracious to take the kiddos and dump me at a coffee shop so I could have some alone time, breathe and maybe write one of the ten blog posts I've started but haven't had a chance to finish between road trips and sick kids.

So what productive thing am I doing with this valuable time away? I got totally sucked in to watching videos. I just wanted to sit still, sip my coffee (with caffeine I might add!) and waste a little time... because I could. This girl here doesn't have cable and most hours I'm elbow deep in snot, playing pretend, putting someone down for a nap, calming down a crier, or making and cleaning up a meal.

What started as just watching my friends Facebook posts of fun videos while sipping my exquisite non-fat latte, quickly led me to looking up all kinds of amazing feats of craziness. You may have heard me mention it before, but I have a not-so-secret ambition to one day be a superhero.

My cape wearing days didn't start at the usual toddler age. I might have been a little closer to 30. I mean, I already enjoy leaping from tall buildings in a single bound, plunging to the water faster than a speeding bullet and kids have often pointed up at me in the sky and said, "It's a bird, it's a plane... it's Laura diving!" Okay, well, maybe not quite, but platform diving can give one aspirations of becoming a superhero. So as my kids have begun to don masks and capes, I get the itch to join them. After all...

As I'm watching these videos this morning, I started getting sucked into these amazing feats of strength, adrenaline and pure craziness and well... that superhero inside desperately wants me to get back in shape so I can try this stuff! Going from one to three kids in 13 months was all the working out I could handle. But now we're starting to be able to breathe again and I think these videos may provide me some motivation to get back into the swing of things.  Enjoy and unleash your inner superhero friends. Although, most of this you shouldn't try at home... unless you're these guys.

5. Because these guys are insanely strong.

Post by Mud and Adventure.

4. Kacy Catanzaro- American Ninja Warrior... indeed.



3. Damien Walters- free runner, stuntman, gymnast. This guy is amazing.




2. I started sweating watching this.



1. Because this stuff is just plain crazy

Like A Girl

I am a girl. And I was just like the young girls in this video who didn't yet understand the insult. I was the girl who won pull up contests against the boys in elementary school. I was also the girl who was told numerous times that she wasn't good enough, that she was too tall or too old or too... whatever.

At first they made me doubt. Then they made me angry. Eventually they became fuel to my fire.

I run like a girl. I jump like a girl. I lift weights like a girl. I dive off three story buildings like a girl. And I win Olympic gold medals like a girl.

I now have two little girls that I want to raise to see the beauty in being all that a girl can be in whatever path she chooses. In our house, we're rewriting the rules.

Thank you Always for making this video to rewrite what it means to be "Like A Girl."

#LikeAGirl

Everyone Needs A Little Crazy

Life is beautiful and, at times, messy. Then there's just down right crazy. We have days that feel practically perfect even though they're laced with a few obstacles. We have days that feel horrendous, even though looking back it was only a 30 minute window of agony that seemed to last all day.

Parenthood is a lot like sports. I know I've written about The Momlympics and my hand at The Juggling Act, but this is on a broader scale.

I had the great honor of winning a lot of high caliber competitions during my diving heyday. I also lost a whole lot more than I ever won.

"I've missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. I've lost almost 300 games. 26 times, I've been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I've failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed."
-Michael Jordan

During training and competitions, sometimes you're "on" and sometimes you're "off." Sometimes you stand at the top of the podium and feel complete. Sometimes you walk off the deck defeated in every way.

But I am so thankful for those heartbreaking losses. I'm thankful for the frustration. I'm thankful for being sidelined with injuries. Because each one of those things taught me something.

After a tough loss, the next time I won, I knew how the person whose head was hanging low felt. I learned how to be humble and gentle to my competitors who became my friends.

When I got frustrated and angry, it spurred me on to work harder and try new things that I may have been too stubborn to try before.

When I had injuries, I was forced to think outside the box and be more focused mentally than ever before.

Parenting really isn't any different, it just feels a little crazier from time to time.

There are tantrums... in public... times three children. There are bloody boo-boos. There are potty accidents at friends' houses. There are days with complete nap failure. There is a two year old that will accidentally drink the baby's bottle. There are emergency root canals for mom. There is no rest for the weary.

But I'm learning to be thankful for our little bit of crazy. It makes me appreciate our good days. It makes me praise the pants off my girls when they are well behaved. It floods my heart with warmth when they think my kisses make everything better. It allows me to be encouraged by sweet friends who share their potty training stories so I know I'm not alone. It makes me giddy when I have an hour to myself because they are all sleeping, and I can write this blog. It teaches me that my kids can roll with the crazy punches of life and shows me that my kids look out for and protect each other. It teaches me that my true rest and peace is in Christ and not in a good night's sleep.

"Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest."
- Matthew 11:28

The crazy moments of life are hard, but they are just moments that will soon be memories. Everyone needs a little crazy to appreciate the beautiful mess of life.

The Momlympics

I've always loved the Olympics, even long before I ever became an Olympian.  I have never seen a Winter Olympics in person, and I was really hoping that Sochi would be my first one.  But alas, this precious little boy decided he wanted to be here in time to watch the Games, so we're doing that as a family in front of the tv at home.

Zadok on his birthday.

Happy little guy.

Growing so fast!

As I've been watching some of the Olympics, I find myself captivated by certain stories.  They always pull you in with those inspiring and heartbreaking personal stories and of course those P&G Thank You Mom commercials that have this mom crying like my baby every time they come on.  For the record, I'm blaming it on hormones. This is one of my favorite ones because I have a mom like this who woke me up at 4am to get to practice, supported me through every up and down, and was there to cheer me on at every meet no matter how I finished.  And now I'm a mom, hoping I can be to my children even just a fraction of the mom mine has been (and still is) for me.

Watching the Olympics also stirs up a little something else in me.  I can't help but get the itch to train and compete again.  I guess that's normal when you've dreamed about and worked toward something for most of your life; it leaves a mark.  But as I look at my new little team, my three kids under three years old, I realize that they already have me training for my very own Momlympics.

Each morning I fall crawl out of bed before the sun is up.  I don't even have to set an alarm.  It must be a scientific fact that if you have three children, one will always wake up before the sunrise.  And that one early riser will likely wake up a sibling, maybe two.  Usually I hit the ground running because the wake up is followed by crying.  A good jog up a flight of stairs and down a hall before coffee, heck, before peeing is how a hard core momlympian begins a day of training.

Once all the kids are up but before breakfast, they already have me doing laps around the house.  Sometimes I march in formation with the kids.  Sometimes it's an all out race.  Other times I'm just frantically gathering clothes, diapers, hair brushes and other essentials so we can get ready for the day.  All in all, a good round of cardio to get the heart pumping.

Then we sit down for a nutritious breakfast and I finally get my coffee (decaf though, I am in training after all).  After breakfast my workout generally consists of some type of wrestling and weightlifting mixture.  Wrangling two 2-year-olds into clothes when they would rather be naked or stay in pjs should be an Olympic medal event.  Then to top it off with brushing and putting up tangled hair on sensitive heads, well, I'm usually ready for a break from my training after this workout.  But to keep me pushing through, my 3-week-old is generally ready to eat, fussy from eating or needing his eighth diaper change of the morning by this point in time. 

If we have an outing for the day, this is the window of opportunity.  I twirl and swoosh around the kitchen in my socks like Michelle Kwan on ice gathering snacks and filling up water cups.  I take off down the hallways like Usain Bolt to gather diapers, wipes and changes of clothes.  Then I slam dunk it all with a flying leap like Michael Jordan into the diaper bag.  I herd my littles to the mom-mobile in record time and convince them it's a great idea to get into their car seats. Snap, snap, clip, clip, slam the door and we're off like the Jamaican bobsled team!

Generally a public outing is a bit like low-key competition.  We're on display for all the world to see and judge us like armchair quarterbacks.  I have to be on my game, drumming up coherent words to speak to other adults while keeping my kids teammates in check throughout the course of the outing.  Once we cross the finish line and are heading back home, we can relax a little bit and maybe go over how our competition went.  Sometimes there are tears after a rough event.  Sometimes there are victory songs.  Sometimes my teammates just pass out from sheer exhaustion.

Nap time at our house can sometimes be the most difficult part of my training.  There are so many variables in this equation that every single day is completely different.  I have to dance on my toes ever so delicately to ensure that all three kids not only go to bed but sleep as well.  One misstep and our rhythm is gone, sometimes for the rest of the day.  This stage of training requires nerves of steel, patience nearly beyond my understanding, and flexibility to handle the unexpected mid-nap potty break or poop blowout.

Like many sports, the Momlympics is all about planning and preparation for the big goal.  And logistics is possibly the most important tool a mom can incorporate into her daily training.  An elite mom must learn not only how to multitask but how to juggle while multitasking.  Multitasking is doing several activities at the same time like talking on the phone, watching tv and listening to your children.  But juggling is a physical skill involving the manipulation of many objects at the same time, using one or many hands (and possibly feet).  So this might look more like holding a crying baby in one arm while bouncing him, holding a book in your other hand while reading it to a second child and fishing a toy out from under the couch with your foot for a third child... all at the same time.

Overall, the Momlympics consists of frequent low-key tune-up events and every so often a large scale, nerve wracking event like traveling.  Like the Olympics, there are tears of joy and defeat.  Sometimes you feel like a gold medal mom and the world should take notice.  Other times, you feel like you've run off course and can't even finish the race.  I think, however, it's most important to note that the Momlympics never ends and the rewards are far greater and longer lasting than gold.

Your Olympic & Sports Questions Answered

Today is the Opening Ceremony for the Sochi Winter Olympics.  Sorry for the delay in getting to all of your questions, but my son, Zadok, was born on January 23rd, so we're just getting used to being a family of five in time for the Olympics to begin!

Our first family picture in the hospital.

Okay, now that I snuck a picture of my family in here, I'll get right down to business.  Thank you all for asking some fun and interesting questions!  And now, as promised, here are the answers to all of your questions, silly and serious, in no particular order.

Question: Are the underage athletes treated differently compared to the adult athletes?

Answer: It varies from sport to sport.  Each sport in each country has its own governing body.  Some sports that generally have younger athletes may have stricter rules for safety reasons (i.e. earlier curfew, may only leave athlete's village with the team, etc.).  Some sports tend to be very strict and all business, while other sports are very laid back.  But in general, there is a team manager or head coach who is setting curfews and rules for the entire team.  Generally once an athlete is done competing they are allowed to be more free, but they still must be respectful to other team members and athletes still competing.

Question: Is all of the food in the dining hall healthy?

Answer: No.  There is always a full service McDonald's in every dining hall and quite a range and variety of foods.  They usually have different cuisines to choose from- a Mediterranean area, an Asian area, a Western area, etc.  Just about every item of food served does have nutritional information listed so you know exactly what you are putting in your body.  It's also open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week because athletes are training and competing around the clock.  And it happens to be my absolute favorite place to people/athlete watch since every athlete from every country has to eat in the same dining hall.

Question: Do you ever want your kids to be involved in sports when they grow up?

Answer: I absolutely love sports and what they can teach a person about character, integrity, and life.  Right now my girls (both 2 years old) are in a gymnastics class one day a week.  I don't care so much if they are good at it, but I like that they are learning to wait their turn, listen to a teacher, try new things, gain flexibility and strength, and they have fun!  I will allow my kids to try some different activities, and they will choose what they want to do.  I will be their biggest fan whatever they decide to try.

Question: Did you get to mingle with athletes of other sports, or where you kept isolated during your time?

Answer:  That's one of the best parts about the Olympics is meeting other athletes from other sports!  If you stay in the athlete's village, you will meet other athletes, whether it's in the dining hall, the training room, the computer lounge, the transportation area, your competition venue... it's really unavoidable.

Question: Which Opening and Closing ceremonies have you enjoyed the most?

Answer:  Sydney (in 2000) was definitely my favorite Opening Ceremony.  It was my very first one, a moment I had always dreamed about, so it was super special.  It was also fun because as soon as we walked out into the arena, we saw our teammate's (Michelle Davison) mom on the big screen!  But each Opening Ceremony is exciting.  You feel that Olympic fever sweeping through the crowd and the athletes.  You get to watch the Olympic flame be lit in surreal ways and you feel like you're staring at the fire that's been burning inside you, pushing you to that very point for so many years.

The Closing Ceremonies aren't as fun for me because they mean the Games are over.  It's always bittersweet.  You have one more walk through the arena with the crowd cheering and hanging out with so many amazing athletes, but you know everything you worked hard for, that one opportunity, whether it went as dreamed or absolutely crushed you, it's gone, already a memory.  Most athletes go through a bit of a depression following the Olympics because of this, whether they medaled or not.  It's a lifetime of build up; then it's over in the blink of an eye.

Question: Aside from diving, which sport and/or teams are you the biggest fan of?

Answer:  I grew up as a gymnast, so naturally I still LOVE to watch gymnastics.  Anything acrobatic is fun for me to watch.  But it's also fun to watch and learn about new sports, especially if you've met the athletes and get to cheer for them.  In 2004, my teammate Kimiko and I met some of the badminton players, so we went and cheered them on.  We had no idea what the rules were, but other spectators explained it to us and we had a blast!

Question: If you weren't an athlete, what career do you think you would have pursued?

Answer: I've always loved architecture. Even as a kid I designed homes and buildings for fun.

Question: Outside of diving, which athletes have you had the opportunity to meet that left you a bit starstruck? Who have you met that you clicked with?

Answer: I have had the honor and privilege to meet so many awesome athletes!  Probably the one that "left me a bit starstruck" was Mary Lou Retton.  Along with the rest of America, I watched her win in 1984 and then started gymnastics with dreams of following in her perfect 10 footsteps.  She is the nicest person and has shared some gems of wisdom with me.  The first time I met her, I could barely speak.  But now I've had the opportunity to be a part of several events with her, and I can tell you honestly that she is the real deal.

In January of 2009, Shannon Miller (gymnastics), Angelo Taylor (track), Joey Cheek (speed skating) and I went to Kuwait and Iraq to visit the troops.  It was an incredible experience!  I got to know Shannon well, and we had a ton in common.

 Question: Have you ever had an eating disorder?

Answer: Yes.  Unfortunately that is not uncommon in the world of sports or for girls in general.  If you or someone you know is battling an eating disorder, I highly recommend this book:

Redeemed from the Pit: Biblical Repentance And Restoration From The Bondage of Eating Disorders by Marie Notcheva

Here is a review of the book and a link to buy it.

Question: How much free time do y'all have?  Do you get to explore the country that you are in?

Answer: At some international events, we fly in, train a couple days, compete and fly back home.  But for each Olympic Games I attended, we arrived about 2 weeks before the Opening Ceremony, and the Olympic Games itself actually lasts 16 days.  You may compete at the beginning, in the middle or at the very end.  Most of the time during that first couple of weeks as we are getting over jet lag and getting used to the competition venue.  That's generally the time that our team will do some sight seeing.  Some athletes also choose to stay after the Games are over to explore or visit neighboring countries.  At the Sydney Games we couldn't leave for several days after the Closing Ceremony, so I had the opportunity to climb the Sydney Harbour Bridge with some friends from home.  In Athens I mostly just visited family because I had been there 6 months earlier for the World Cup and some teammates and I stayed a few extra days after that competition to explore.  In Beijing, our team went to the Great Wall and a Chinese circus in those first couple of weeks before the competition.

Question:  I'm doing a report about you for school.  I am in fourth grade.

Answer: Awesome!  If you need any information, check out my website:  www.laurawilkinson.com

 Question: Does 10 meter platform give you anxiety now?

Answer: I haven't been up there in a bit, so I'm sure I would have a few butterflies in my stomach! Like most things, you have to be consistently doing it to be comfortable with it.

Question: How old is the oldest person you know that can still do the dives you did in Olympic competition? 

Answer:  That's a very interesting question.  At last year's World Championships there were a couple of women platform divers that were 27 and 28 but they are doing a lower degree of difficulty.
 

Question: Did you walk in the opening and/or closing ceremonies at the Olympics why or why not? If you did go to the ceremonies was it as fun as it looks?

Answer: I walked at all three Olympic Games in Opening and Closing Ceremonies.  It is an amazing experience that I never wanted to miss.  I also never had to compete until usually the second week of competition.  Sometimes if athletes have to compete the next day or maybe have an injury, they elect to not walk.  There is a lot of standing and walking for the athletes, sometimes more than 6 hours, so as much fun and as cool as it is, if you have to compete shortly after, you have to make a wise decision.  Usually the only reason an athlete won't attend Closing is because they have already left to go back home.

Question: This will sound ridiculous, but can you send me the clips of Amanda Beard in the races that she won?

Answer: Um, no.  But here's her website: http://amandabeard.net/

Question: I have a question for you about Olympics as a promotional and economic event.

Do you feel like the tremendous cost of the Olympics is a service to the sporting world and to host city citizens or do you feel those two groups would be better served with either smaller facilities costs in host cities or a single site for games for many Olympiads (in Switzerland perhaps)?  Also do you still live in the Houston area?

Answer: Wow, that's an interesting thought- a single site that hosts the Games for many Olympiads.  Hm, I'll have to think about that one!  The cost is absolutely ridiculous, and I'm not sure how or if the host cities ever recover from it.  I know the athlete villages are usually turned into apartment housing after the Games, but many of the amazing venues stand empty or are severely under used in the years following.  There must be a better way to do it, but the Olympics is so huge and all encompassing of the city, I'm not sure how they would go about doing it without building all new infrastructures.  Perhaps you're on to something with the single site idea.

Yes, I still live just north of Houston.

Question: How did you break those 3 bones in your foot before Sydney? (That's painful to think about, by the way)!

Answer: I was in Ft. Lauderdale, FL, for a diving meet.  In a warm up, I was doing inward somersaults onto a mat.  I came out of the somersault a hair too early and hit both of my feet on the block of wood I was jumping off.  I completely broke the three middle metatarsals on my right foot, one piece from those bones lodged itself underneath, feeling like I was standing on a sharp rock if I put weight on it.  I also had a fracture on one of the metatarsals on my left foot.

Question: When they bring mixed country synchro in you'll make a comeback with me right?

Answer: This is from my dear friend Loudy Wiggins in Australia!  We've been joking about this for ages, and YES!

Question: Did you pee in the pool? Bahahaha! Sorry. I had to say it. Don't answer.

Answer: No! But I have unfortunately encountered some yellow hot tubs at meets that I will not get into!

Question: Who is and was your biggest inspiration!!

Answer: Honestly growing up, I admired and inspired to be like so many different athletes.  There were certain things about many people that I admired.  My first synchro partner, Patty Armstrong, taught me that you could have fun and train hard at the same time.  My coach, Kenny Armstrong, was the first person who ever believed that I could do something amazing, and then he taught me how.  We went through a lot together, and he never once gave up on me- in and out of the pool.  My diving team was always like a family to me. When they're behind you, you feel like you can accomplish anything.

Through diving, God has taught me a lot about life.  I think more than the people, God gave me a passion for this sport that was so deep and unending, that is what kept driving me. Now looking back, in so many ways diving is the perfect analogy for life- from taking a leap of faith to trusting God with the results.

Question: Where is your 2000 Olympic medal?? 

Answer: It's in an easily accessible place.  I love to have it handy if someone wants to see it or if I'm speaking at an event.

Question: Did you ever want to just give up and quit?

Answer: As my coach might answer... Does a bear poop in the woods?  Of course!  Any time you pour out your blood, sweat and tears into something and it isn't going according to plan, giving up or quitting is quick to slip into your mind.  I'm very much a Rocky Balboa type mind set: "It’s about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward."  Life will knock you down, but you don't have to let it keep you there.

Question: I want to try on your medal as well.. AND is it really made of chocolate on the inside?! 

Answer: Nope, but it isn't solid gold either.  The gold medals are actually silver then plated in gold.  The bronze medals for the 2000 Olympics, were created from melted down Australian 1 cent and 2 cent coins - which had been removed from circulation from 1992 onward.

Question: What was your biggest fear when you were competing (besides diving head first from 10 meters high?) 

Answer: There were many different seasons throughout my diving career.  Sometimes I was afraid of failing, of not being as good as I thought I could be.  I went through several seasons where I was terrified of certain dives, thinking I might not live through practice or the meet.  Sometimes I was afraid of what other people would think if I didn't live up to their expectations (which were usually my own expectations of what I assumed they thought).  Sometimes I feared getting hurt.  Sometimes I feared not knowing where I was in the air.  There is a lot to fear in diving.  But through that fear, God taught me to trust Him.  Here are a couple of my favorite verses that helped me with fear:

"Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."  Isaiah 41:10

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:6-7

"For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control." 2 Timothy 1:7

Question: Once chosen for the Olympic team, do athletes get any stipend during the time they are training but before heading to the Olympics?

Answer: Each sport operates differently.  We did not get a training stipend unless we were traveling with the Olympic Team to a training camp or something similar. And even then it was not much, just per diem.  Some athletes do receive funding from the US Olympic Committee based on finishes at prior world events.

Question: On the radio this morning they were talking about the threats to the Sochi Olympics and how many spectators, politicians, etc. are not going to go. Another of the DJs said how the Olympics bring athletes from other countries together and the athletes gain a better understanding of that country. Did you have the chance to spend some time with an athlete from another country and did you gain a new respect for that country?

Answer: Unfortunately it seems that leading up to every Olympic Games, the security threats over shadow the athletes and the event itself.  I hope that Russia and partnering security forces have everything under control, but sadly there is never a guarantee of safety.

I did have many chances to get to know athletes from other countries!  Fortunately diving is a very small sport, so as you compete on the international circuit, you get to know most of the divers.  And traveling to so many different countries and cultures, you do gain a new respect and understanding for the world outside of your own town. 

The Olympics are Coming!

When the Olympic Games are just around the corner, I start getting asked all kinds of questions.  In case you live in a hole or are only into sports til the Super Bowl commercials end, the Winter Olympics Opening Ceremony begins on February 7th in Sochi, Russia.

If you want to check out Team USA, find out when to watch and who to cheer for, then check out these sites:

US Olympic Team

NBC Olympics

Now as an athlete, I'm always getting asked interesting sports related questions, but there's something about the Olympics that really brings out the unusual ones.  I'll answer a couple of the usual ones here, but I would love to hear from you!  Just post your questions in the comments below or on my Facebook or Twitter, and I'll dedicate a post to all of your questions no matter how crazy.

Q:  Have you been watching all of the Winter Olympic Team Trials?

A:  Unfortunately this year I have not been able too.  But with a baby due any day now, we'll be hunkered down at the house just in time for the Games to begin, and my girls are fascinated by sports. Although they may try some stunts at home, which we'll have to be careful about.  After we took them to the pool the other week to watch a diving practice, Arella tried to dive head first off of a box onto the game room floor!  I think she understands that we only dive headfirst into water now...

Q:  If you were a winter athlete, what sport would you do?

A:  Growing up in Houston, TX, I freeze at around 50 degrees Fahrenheit, so I'm not sure I could ever handle any winter sport!  But my favorites to watch are the more aerial/acrobatic events like Aerial Skiing and Snowboard Halfpipe because that's the type of athlete I am.  However when the Olympics are on with medals on the line, I will get sucked into every event!  I also like to follow athletes that I've had the honor to meet at different events.

Q:  What goes on behind the scenes at the Olympics that an armchair quarterback might not know?

A:  A LOT!  But probably one of my favorite parts about the Olympics is the athlete village.  At the Summer Olympics, about 10,000 athletes and coaches from all sports and countries are housed in a fenced off, secure village.  The Winter Olympics athlete village houses about 3,000.  The village is truly like a city with apartments for everyone to live in, a huge 24/7 dining hall where everyone eats together, weight rooms, recreation areas, shops, event venues, transportation center and of course security to get in and out.

Okay, now it's your turn to ask the questions!  Let's hear them!