The 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal will always be remembered for the perfection of Nadia Comaneci; the golden smile from Sugar Ray Leonard; the perseverance of Bruce Jenner in the decathlon; the grace of hurdler extraordinaire Edwin Moses; and the youthful exuberance of 17-year old diver Jennifer Chandler in the 3M springboard.
Two years earlier, Jenni was a 15-year old kid getting ready for those games and featured in article by Sports Illustrated. She was spending the summer with her family on their farm in a small town in Alabama... her two parents and her two sisters driving everywhere for competitions that were prepping Jenni for a shot at Gold.
That hard work, determination, and sacrifice from the teenager and her "Gold Medal Driver" mother put the young girl in a position to make the U.S. diving team and once she did that, her coach, Carlos de Cubas, had her ready to reach her potential when it mattered most.
50 years after that precocious 15-year old was featured in SI we talk with the Gold Medalist about how that moment shaped the rest of her life... what it was like to be a part of the Opening Ceremonies... how hearing the National Anthem still moves her to tears and how she looks back on a time in her life when for one brief moment... she was the best in the world...
Jennifer Chandler, the last U.S. woman to win Olympic Gold in the 3M diving event, is engaging, thoughtful and grateful for what diving did for her and she shares her story on the Past Our Prime podcast. Listen and review us wherever you get your podcasts.
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