Olympian Chris Colwill to Hold Dive Clinic, Get Commendation

Note: Original story dek had the wrong date for this event. It is Oct. 13, 2012.

Two-time Olympic diver Chris Colwill will be at the Brandon Sport & Aquatic Center today, Oct. 13, where he has been hired to develop the new Blue Wave diving program.

There, he will conduct the first of two free dive clinics he is staging for the Greater Brandon community. The second clinic is scheduled for Oct. 20. Both clinics are from 10 a.m. to noon.

Both potential divers and parents are encouraged to attend and give Colwill their input regarding their current abilities, commitment levels and practice schedule availabilities.

Also at today's clinic, at noon, Hillsborough County Commissioner Al Higginbotham will present to Colwill a commendation on behalf of the Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners, for his Olympic accomplishments and representation of the Brandon community.

“I am so proud to commend an outstanding athlete who calls Brandon home,” Higginbotham said in a news release about the commendation. “I have no doubt his guidance and experience will result in future diving Olympians from our proud community.”

Higginbotham was to present as well a commendation to Niko Milosavljevic, 13, a student at Mulrennan Middle School, who placed third overall in the Men's Divison at the Zadar Marathon Swim in Croatia earlier this year.

• See

A resident of south Brandon, Colwill, 27, trained at BSAC from his early youth through his high school years at Tampa Preparatory School. He went on to attend the University of Georgia where he was the 2006 National Collegiate Athletic Association Diver of the Year, and earned medals at the NCAA Championships, Southeastern Conference Championships, U.S. Open, Canadian Cup and FINA World Championships.

He participated in both the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games and the 2012 London Games.

“I am truly excited to be back home, get back to my roots and help kids get better at something I really love," said Colwill.

He plans to start the BSAC diving program in March.

• Related Coverage, Olympian Chris Colwill to Brandon: 'I Love You Guys' (Video)

For more information, contact member services at the Brandon Sports and Aquatic Center at 813-689-0908 or email MemberServices@mybsac.org.

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