Tori Lamp Wood started calling Milwaukee home about two years ago when she moved to Wisconsin with her husband, but in a few weeks, she'll be returning to a familiar place: The Olympic Trials. She's giving her dream one more shot before she retires.
“I start a full-time job after in the fall,” Wood explained of her life after diving. “I just got that a few weeks ago so I'm excited for that and I'm probably going to start a family in a couple of years, so just kind of transitioning to that. My husband will be done with law school soon so we're just going to start kind of a new portion of our lives.”
But this portion isn't over yet. Right now, Wood's job is to train at the Walter Schroeder Aquatic Center six days a week for her second and last Olympic Trials.
“In 2012, I finished fifth, so I was three spots away from qualifying for the team,” she explained. “I actually sustained an injury. I herniated a disc in my back about two weeks before.”
One year later, in 2013, the Tennessee native was back on the big stage. This time at the World Championships, where she placed 10th, performing her most difficult dive.
“It's called a back arm stand twist and I'm the only female in the world that does it,” she said. “Other people have attempted it and just not been successful.”
Wood is successful not because of years in the pool, instead, it was practice on the bars, beam and floor that got her to the elite level on the platform.
“Honestly, I feel better than I did a few years ago,” Wood said of the wear and tear on her body. “I just have some aches and pains I have to deal with.”
And with a trip to Rio on the line, no aches, pain or even pending retirement will stop that dream.
“I feel like I'm doing this for me,” she said. “I'm doing this because I want to help the U.S. Regardless of what happens I think I'm going to be okay and so I think that's a good thing but I need to make sure that I'm focusing on trying to make the Olympic team.”
