The 2008 Olympics include a Deaf diver. I’m surprised no one in the deaf blogosphere has mentioned this yet. I cannot find a mention of him in my searches at DeafRead. So, I present to you, a bio for Chris Colwill, formerly of Florida, now living in Georgia. Let’s cheer on one of our own!
Chris Colwill
| Born: | September 11, 1984 Brandon, FL |
|---|---|
| Hometown: | Brandon, FL |
| Residence: | Athens, GA |
| Ht: / Wt: | 5′10″ / 175 lbs |
| Event(s): | 3m springboard, 3m synchro |
On the rise
Chris Colwill makes his Olympic debut in 3m springboard and 3m synchronized springboard. He and synchro partner Jevon Tarantino have been competing together less than two years, but have known each other since they were kids, growing up in Florida. Colwill admits he prefers the non-Olympic 1m springboard, but as he has started having more success on 3m, he has learned to like both. And since 1m is not an Olympic event, he has been focused on 3m this year with the Olympics approaching.
Lesson learned
At the 2007 Worlds, Colwill finished fourth on 1m springboard, a result he was happy with, but fared much worse on 3m, finishing 33rd. He says he wasn’t used to competing against so many divers at once and the long wait between dives was a challenge. But Colwill says he learned his lesson there and won’t have the same trouble next time.
Videos
Colwill: Trials 3m final
Watch highlights of Chris Colwill at the U.S. Olympic Trials.
Secret advantage
Colwill was born with only about 40 percent of his hearing, and he has been wearing a hearing aid since age 4. But he can’t wear the aid when he dives, so he can’t hear the whistle that signals to the divers when they can go. So the referees nod to him in addition to the whistle so that he can recognize the signal. He says in general it’s an advantage not to be able to hear during competitions, because he isn’t distracted by noises. His coach, Dan Laak, also says it’s an advantage, but not for the same reason: “Chris can see things halfway across the pool in a split second that other divers don’t see. His sense of awareness of where he is in the air and his peripheral vision is exceptional, too. It’s almost cat-like the way Chris can see and react to things.”
College champ
After a successful career at Georgia, Colwill graduated in 2008 with a degree in speech communications. In 2006, he won the NCAA title on 1m and 3m springboard and was the runner-up on platform, earning him the honor of NCAA Diver of the Year. He says when he first started at Georgia, he thought he was done competing with the national team. But he kept getting invited to Grand Prix and World Cup events, and was finding success. Colwill still trains in Athens, though he travels frequently to Florida to train with Tarantino.
Drawn to the water
Always an active kid, Colwill started out in gymnastics, baseball and soccer. After gymnastics practice one day, he saw divers practicing and wanted to try it. He tried to do both for a while, but found he kept skipping gymnastics because he liked diving more, because he liked the idea of being in the water. He also now enjoys playing golf, using it as a distraction when he’s frustrated with diving, and often plays in the university course at Georgia.
