On the Move - Diver Spotlight on Rachelle Kunkel

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Rachelle (Smith) Kunkel doesn't remember practicing a sport after school while she was growing up. In fact, the 24-year-old from West Valley City, Utah didn't step onto a diving board until she was in high school.

"I've always been athletic. I played t-ball and we had a trampoline," Kunkel said. "I did fun stuff, like playing soccer on Saturdays."

The trampoline and Olympic Games led Rachelle to a new sport. Like many others, she is a gymnast turned diver.

"I did gymnastics when we lived in Hawaii," Kunkel said. "My mom put it on my shoulders to find a club and schedule practice times."

When the Smith family returned to Utah, Rachelle looked for something new. Living with a family of runners - her older brother, older sister and parents ran - Kunkel was an active participant in track and field while in the prep ranks. A neighborhood girl led Rachelle to the dive well making her a two-sport athlete.

"A girl on my street was on the swim team and she said they needed divers," Kunkel said. "I decided with my gymnastics and trampoline backgrounds I should give it a try. I loved it.

"For a couple of months, the divers on the team taught each other, until my mom was able to convince a collegiate diver to coach us."

Following her sophomore year, it was once again on Rachelle's shoulders to foster her sport. She dove with Doug Jamison at the University of Utah, and when college rolled around Kunkel enrolled at Brigham Young University.

"I didn't decide I wanted to dive in college until I was a senior in high school, and even then, I didn't put myself out there," she said. "I chose BYU because it was a good school, it was close to home and the women's diving program had a strong history."

Rachelle added to that strong history. During her time with the Cougars, she was a three-time All-WAC diver, an All-MWC diver, an All-American and finalist on 1-meter at the 2000 NCAA Championships.

She also turned it up a notch at U.S. Diving events, claiming her first national title on 1-meter at the 1999 U.S. Summer Nationals.

"Doug and Keith were such outstanding coaches. They taught me how to focus," Kunkel said.

"In 1999, I had more competition experience though collegiate meets. I was more confident in my dives and myself. I wanted it bad and I didn't hold anything back. I had nowhere to go but up."

She was on her way up. That same year she placed 13th on 1-meter at the World University Games, and in 2000, she won her second national title on 1-meter at Indoor Nationals.

2001 saw Kunkel's first national crown on 3-meter.

"It's not that I didn't dive 3-meter before 2001, it's just that I didn't dive it well," Rachelle said. "I was a 1-meter diver for a long time, and I focused a lot on that. I do better on harder dives, where there's no room for error. I just had to wait until I could do harder dives on 3-meter.

"I finally developed the confidence and consistency on 3-meter. I still want 1-meter, but I also want 3-meter. I know I have to work hard and focus."

Kunkel got plenty of work on 3-meter during 2001. She was a jet-setter, competing at the Canada Cup, China Open, World Championships, World University Games and Goodwill Games.

"The international trips were incredible," she said. "I went to China with Hongping (Li). It was cool to get to know him, and he helped us understand the culture.

"The competition was amazing at the World Championships. I've never seen anything like it. It was totally motivating and made me hungry for more.

"My family saw the Goodwill Games. It was fun for them, and my mom made sure everyone knew it was on tv.

"Every trip was an amazing experience, and I'm so thankful. I never thought I would see the Great Wall, the Imperial Soldiers or represent the U.S. Getting to know the other divers just topped it all off. It was an added bonus."

Following the Goodwill Games, Rachelle and her husband Jeff moved to Los Angeles where he now attends dental school. Married just over two years, the couple met in anatomy class at BYU.

"We didn't meet while dissecting a cadaver or anything like that," she joked. "We had mutual friends; and I knew he was really smart, so I wanted to study with him. A lot of studying turned into dating and we got married a year and a half later."

The move rejoined Rachelle and Hongping, but leaving BYU coach Keith Russell was difficult.

"It was hard leaving Keith. I dove with him for five years, but I thought I was ready for the move. I had switched clubs before, but nothing could have prepared me," Kunkel said.

"Keith is incredible. He focuses on what you are doing, not on what you need to do. Even on really bad days he was positive. He's so genuine. I can't say enough good things about him."

Rachelle admits her first days in Los Angeles were not the most fun - mostly because of the cold winter months and lack of a training partner. But, all that changed in January 2002.

"I've totally adjusted to the move. The weather got warmer and Erin Sones joined the team," she said. "Hongping is a great coach. He has helped me with my consistency and lineups. He's been tremendous."

Kunkel will make one more move this year. She plans on returning to BYU this summer to complete her nursing degree. She hopes to work in a mother-baby hospital unit, educating new moms about the changes they will undergo in the weeks following birth.

Besides reading and attending school, Rachelle maintains balance by spending time with Jeff. The couple enjoys cooking, going to the movies and attending pot luck dinners with friends.

"Diving has given me so much," Kunkel said. "It's given me self-confidence, and I've met wonderful people that I cherish. I was also given the opportunity to be an athlete in college, and that's both challenging and rewarding.

"I've learned you have to think big and not be afraid to try new things. You've just got to trust your coaches.