Elite Inspiration: Tom Daley

Thanks to the Internet, it has become extremely easy for the general public to access information and media from all around the world. I personally try to keep the countless hours I spend web surfing well-cultured so to speak. I enjoy discovering how people live all around the world - especially when I come across extraordinary people who achieve great things. 

Photo credit: Tom Daley, taken from Tom Daley's Instagram feed tomdaley1994:

Which brings me to the topic of today's blog: the extremely inspiring Olympic diver Tom Daley from Great Britain. At 18, he is currently competing at his second Olympics in London. Although he did not earn a medal at the Beijing Olympics in 2008, Tom did gain a lot of experience as a athletic competitor. 

I have to admit, my relationship with my family has seen better days, which is why I think I'm drawn to Tom Daley's story - his family has always supported him wholeheartedly. In fact Tom's father attended every event he competed in until he absolutely could not any longer. Rob Daley, Tom's father, was diagnosed with multiple brain tumors and tragically died in 2011. In that time, Tom only missed one week of Olympic training sessions and continued to persevere to greatness. Even after his father's death, Tom's family still showed up to the diving arenas to cheer him on even though painful memories still linger in the back of their minds as they mourn Rob's passing. It serves as a powerful reminder: family comes before all else!

Enjoy reading? Tom Daley discusses his book My Story which will be available in the US starting September 27,2012:

Ironically, Tom won the British diving title at Sheffield Pool where his father watched him dive numerous times and secured his position to compete at the London 2012 Olympics. Although he has thus far been unsuccessful in earning a medal in synchronized diving, Tom Daley will compete today in individual diving finals. Although he is not expected to win gold (China continues to dominate all diving events), the very magnitude of all his accomplishments justifies him as one of the most inspiring Olympians of 2012. 

Tom Daley Quick Profile:

Twitter: @tomdaley1994

Instagram: tomdaley1994

Facebook:www.facebook.com/TomDaleyOfficial

Here's a working link of Tom Daley:Diving for Britain, a documentary profiling  the Olympic diver which aired in the UK on BBC One (it's definitely worth the watch!) :