The Magnificent Seven: Anna Kwong Embracing Her Opportunities
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Anna Kwong
Anna Kwong never could have imagined a year ago what her life would look like now.
She’s nearing the end of a whirlwind travel schedule that’s taken her around the world in just a few short months.
Next stop: Paraguay, for the Junior Pan American Games and her seventh international competition since April.
“Seven. I just keep saying yes. I don’t feel like I can turn down anything because it’s just incredible. Seven countries in five months. That has just been the biggest gift I could ever receive,” Kwong said. “Yes, I worked hard to get here, but also so many things had to align. It's been the biggest dream come true, honestly. I never would have imagined that this could be what life looks like as a high-level diver.”
She recently returned from Singapore, where she competed at her first World Aquatics Championships. Her international travel started in April with a World Aquatics World Cup meet in Mexico, followed by another World Cup in Canada before the World Cup Super Final in China. She also competed at the American Cup and the Bolzano Diving Meeting.
And adding to an already busy year, the recent TCU graduate took the MCAT just days before leaving for Bolzano. Medical school will have to wait though.
“I am planning on taking the next few years off and really just focusing on my training and seeing how far I can go and how good I can get. (The MCAT) is good for three years, so technically if I start in 2028 right after the Olympics, or if I don’t make the Olympics, then it should still be good. We’ll see where things take me,” Kwong said.
Kwong had a breakout meet at the 2024 USA Diving Winter National Championships, setting the stage for 2025.
After finishing 19th on 1-meter and 33rd on 3-meter at her first winter nationals in 2022, she followed with 13th on 1-meter and 38th on 3-meter at the 2023 winter nationals. She made the 3-meter final at the 2024 U.S. Olympic Team Trials, but Kwong’s expectations weren’t high heading into the 2024 winter national meet.
She simply wanted to make the 1-meter final. She left as the winter national champion on 3-meter.
“Going into this past winter nationals, it wasn’t really on my radar that I could win anything. I said I wanted to make the 1-meter final, and I just made the final,” Kwong said. “On 3-meter, I was like, I want to do better. I kind of embraced that, and I ended up winning. I really couldn’t believe it. My coach (Anthony Crowder) believed in me, but I really didn’t until that moment.”
She then won 1-meter at the 2025 USA Diving National Championships, where she also tied for first in synchronized 3-meter and finished third individually on 3-meter.
Kwong was a junior national champion in trampoline but stopped her freshman year of high school because her friends left the sport. She joined the high school diving team as a sophomore at the request of other friends, who needed one more person in order to have a team. She was also on the school’s cross country and tennis teams that year.
“In the spring, I ended up joining the club (diving) team because I really enjoyed it. I really missed flipping from my trampoline days,” Kwong said. “I wouldn’t be here without Airborne Diving Academy and Peter Charles. He really kickstarted my career and was the first person to believe in my ability to go to college and dive.”
She left her hometown of Omaha to dive for TCU, where Crowder developed her into a national champion by focusing on basics and fundamental skills. She didn’t start diving 3-meter until she got to college.
Kwong said her diving also may have benefitted from another activity she enjoys – playing the violin.
“I’ve played my whole life. I just love music and creativity and being able to express yourself and use a completely different side of your brain than you do in diving,” she said. “I do think it also helps with coordination in diving and the ability to have different fine motor skills and control different muscles.”
Her faith is a big part of her life, and she enjoys checking out different churches throughout her travels. She also loves animals – particularly her dog.
No matter what she’s doing, she’s likely to have a smile on her face.
“I like sharing joy and positivity. I just think that every day’s a great day and if you can brighten someone’s day, that’s just the best feeling ever. Small details like pretty flowers and sunsets, I love noticing little things that make me smile,” Kwong said.
