Travel the world, attend music festivals, golf and rock-climb; that was the life David Austin, 22, had set for himself when he moved out to California from Vermont.
However, it never crossed Austin’s mind that his life would change and he would become the 2009 California Community College Diving Champion.
“Rock climbing was a pretty intense passion of mine,” Austin said.
When Austin dropped everything he had in Vermont and moved to California where his mom was, rock climbing became his new hobby.
“I started climbing at the gym and met these guys from Beach Cities Rocks,” Austin said. “We traveled along the West Coast and into Europe rock climbing.”
Although his friends competed, Austin never felt competing was what he wanted from rock climbing.
“It was something I do for fun,” Austin said.
That was until after climbing one day, Austin came back with swollen knees and elbows due to his condition with rheumatoid arthritis.
Austin could no longer rock climb with the intensity he had.
“I had my Indian visa and was going to climb the Himalayas,” Austin said, “I had to rearrange what I wanted in life.”
While taking a year off from climbing, Austin went back to school and attained his high school diploma at EC, which he felt “needed to get done.”
“The adrenaline of rock-climbing is something that I didn’t realize I liked so much until I didn’t have it any more,” Austin said. “Diving gave it back to me.”
At EC, Austin was first introduced to diving when he walked into the pool.
“I saw one guy practicing and said I can try this,” Austin said. “I always liked jumping on trampolines and flipping around.”
Without any tryouts and just filling out the necessary forms, Austin joined the dive team midseason.
“He had so much raw talent,” dive coach Laurie Dawdy said. “He was also in shape and flexible.”
Austin did not compete during that season, but continued to take classes.
“Being an athlete was definitely a huge part of the motivation to be a good student, be full time and maintain a certain GPA,” Austin said.
The first year Austin competed for the dive team, he ended the season strong, finishing in second place for the California Community College State Championships.
“He was very consistent,” swim coach Corey Stanbury said.
“He is the hardest working athlete I’ve ever worked with,” Dawdy said.
This season, Austin’s hard work showed through the two new college records he set.
“I had come close a couple of times to breaking the college record on the three-meter (board),” Austin said.
Austin broke the 2008 three-meter dive board record with 287.80 points at the South Coast Conference Championships in April 2009.
“The (conference championships) were my last chance and it was great to have broke it there.”
Austin won the South Coast Conference and went on to win the title as California Community College Dive Champion.
“When David dives, you can see the artistic side of the sport,” Dawdy said. “You could tell he was a champion.”
Rock-climbing is still a part of Austin’s life, though not as intense, but his future has become somewhat clearer.With two years left for eligibility, Austin is planning on diving at a university.
“He has proven himself to be one of the top divers in the state on any given day,” Stanbury said.
Both Dawdy and Stanbury agree that Austin has natural talent and a future with diving.
“I think he has scholarship potential,” Dawdy said. “Any (university) would be crazy to not want him on their team.”
Austin’s major, physical education, is a reflection of his athleticism, but also an old teacher.
“When I was in elementary school, my gym teacher was the greatest guy and I really respected him,” Austin said.
“I would love to be something like that.”
That is one of many possibilities Austin has.
“My interest in physical education will help me get through school and accomplish a degree so that I can do whatever I want,” Austin said.