right now. Um I'm in the village in Tokyo just in my room. We have, we have like a suite with all the men's divers. So people. Mm when did you get there? I got my kids and I have to hold it down a little bit. We left on the 18th from the us and then we arrived in Japan on the 19th because of the time change. Okay. and your first competition, the synchro is the 28th. So that's is that a week from now? I guess that's about a week. Yeah, we have about a week to compete in the middle of the day. So it'll be kind of pretty late at night for you guys back in the U. S. I had the privilege of speaking with your parents. I interviewed them. I went to your house and they are just beaming. They are so proud of you. So honored to have an Olympian as their son. Yeah. Did you ever think five years ago that you'd be in this position now? It's pretty hard to even think back to that time, but I mean, five years ago I was just, you know, thinking about working my hardest and seeing where I could go. Um I obviously thought that the Olympics were going to be in 2020, so my goal was just to kind of make it here um and see how well I could do. And I think the extra year with Covid, although it was hard with training and everything, I think it did give me a little bit of an advantage um, with a little bit more time to get my dives where I wanted them to be and get a few more repetition. So I think it worked out in my favor. I'm just really excited to be here. But yeah, I don't think that five years ago, I would have thought that I'd be in the position that I am right now. And what did it take to get here? What did it take over these last few years to get to this point? I think over the last few years, the thing that's changed the most, um, that helped me get here was my mental game. I think the, probably four years ago, I was not too much different physically, I've definitely gotten better physically, but more mentally. We've just been working really hard on my competition strategy and feeling confident about myself going into competitions. And I think that's mostly what's changed, especially in the last year. And that really helps me have a successful olympic trials. How do you like diving with Michael Hickson? It's great. Um, he's taught me so much about how to compete and just how to dive Synchro in general, because I never really did synchro before I dove with him, so it's been amazing and at first it was a little bit scary because he's the previous olympic silver medalist, but there is weighing real quick and it's been a really great partnership. Feeling confident about winning a medal. Yeah, I think so. I think we've shown in this squad that we can be in the top three and we just have to change the minor details and perfect some things, but um training has been going really well and I think that if we if we do a good list for us then we could be right up in there in the top three and hopefully contend for a medal. And what about the individual competition? How are you, are you feeling about that? I'm feeling really confident for the individual competition. I haven't really had the opportunity to compete individually too much on the world stage, but I think I've really improved a lot of my individual dives this past year, so I'm excited to get out there and see how well I can do. And I think that if I I do my best list or or a pretty good list for me, I think I can be up there and contend for a medal just depending on how other people do and I just have to control what I can control and do the best six dives that I can do loaded question. But what is it that you love so much about diving? I think my favorite thing about diving is the community that we get to be a part of, it's just it's kind of a small community, we don't have too many people in usa diving, it's a smaller sport, but all the people in our community are just so great and so supportive of each other. Um It's not like a lot of other sports where it's very cutthroat and you're just trying to hope that your competitors don't do well so you can do well, it's, it's a family and we all root for each other and it's just a great thing to be a part of. So have you been out seeing the sights just taking in the scene and and just trying to absorb it all. What have these last few days been like for you in Tokyo? Yeah, definitely. Just getting out, trying to explore the village a lot. Um We're not allowed to leave the village at all but they've done such a beautiful job and it's a really, really great village. I was definitely not expecting all this so um yeah, just trying to take it all in. The boys have done some pretty fun stuff around the village with just pictures and stuff, so it's been really fun and I'm just excited to see where things go and opening ceremonies are tomorrow night. So should have a lot of fun with that as the weight of it, all the gravity of, of it just set in, has it as it registered? My gosh, I'm here at the olympics as a competitor. Yeah, I don't think that it's completely set in. I kind of have like moments where like hits me and I'm like, holy wow. And then a few minutes later I'm just kind of like back in my zone and, and just kind of having fun. But there are definitely some moments where I'll either be diving in the pool or just walk around the village that I just, I feel so blessed to be here and I'm just really excited for the opportunity. So one of these next few days going to look like for you leading up to the synchro competition, How much practice will you be doing? Just gonna run us through what these next few days will look like? Yeah, so we'll do two practices today on most days. So usually a morning training and an afternoon training tomorrow. I think we'll only do one because of opening ceremonies. They wanna tire us out too much because it's a lot of walking. But yeah, so two practices a day mostly and then just a lot of recovery in between training sessions, just trying to make sure our bodies stay good going into the competition and then um, Just go time on on the 28th. So just getting ready mentally and physically, as I mentioned, I talked with mom and dad today, how instrumental have they been in getting you to this grand stage? Yeah, they've been so instrumental in my whole diving career and my dad has just been there through it all. He was he was the one who drove with me to all the meats and he's the biggest supporter, I think everyone in usa diving not just me, so it's been amazing to have him there the whole time. And then my mom has just been kind of the background supporter, always there if I need her, but she hasn't necessarily gotten to go to all my meats and so it's been really special in the past few years that she's been able to kind of be there more at the at the competitions and doesn't need to stay home anymore with my brothers. So um I mean it's been amazing, both of them are just such special people and I'm so glad that they've been able to be on this journey with me. I know you wish they were, there could be there in person But they will be watching at 2:00 AM and 4:00 AM, they'll be watching cheering and I think they're having a watch party. So I mean it's a really special and exciting experience for me but I'm really happy that they get to experience it all as well because um they've worked pretty hard for for getting me here as well, not to jump ahead too much, but after this, after the olympics, where do you see yourself going? What do you want to do with with your life? Yeah. Well so after this I'm going to take a few months off of diving just get my body a little bit um rested and healed up from some small minor injuries that I've had and then I'll probably get back in the pool, start dying again. I still have one more year of college left so I'll continue diving and going to school. And then after that I'm planning on diving until 2024. So I'm excited for that for that next journey. But um I don't know what I'm gonna do with my life. Yeah. I question having 20, Yeah. Or um or after 2024 I might stop just depending on how my body is and how I'm feeling mentally. But I think that I want to coach after diving also, like I said, it's just the usa diving community is so special to be a part of and I don't really want to leave it too soon. So I'm thinking about coaching after after being an athlete coaching. And do you hope to Take part in the 20, Olympics? Do you want to try out for the next olympic games? Yes, that is the plan right now, as long as the body and the mind stay healthy. Mhm. Um You're you have a twin brother. Mhm. Matthew, yep. Uh tell me how how important this is, he is in in your life and and um and he's had his own challenges over the years, but just how important of a role has he played in your life? Yeah, I mean he's just he's been so supportive of me, my whole diving career and um to me, he's just he's my biggest inspiration. He's been through so much in his life and every time just comes out stronger and with such a positive attitude and um I think that's thanks to my parents and all that they've instilled in us, but just seeing him battled through some of the times that he's had to go through and, and really come out on top and he's in pharmacy school right now and just doing amazing. I think that it's just, it's really great to see. So, um, it was really special to share the moment with him when I qualified at olympic trials and there's a picture of him going crazy in the stands after one of my dives. And that's something that picture from the trials and your dad mentioned that when you return to the States that you'd like to go back up to Long Island where it all started and speak with some young people, some kids and inspire them. Tell me about that. What you want to do, Why you feel it's so important to go back to the Long Island where you spent the first, I guess half of your life, 1st 10 years or so, why do you want to go back? Um we'll have him back to Long Island in like six years. And um, I mean that's just where my journey started and that's where I fell in love with gymnastics and diving and where my olympic dreams kind of manifested. So I just want to go back there and go back to my old club teams and see my old coaches and just try to kind of inspire some of the younger generation of the kids coming up in new york because gymnastics and diving are aren't too big sports there. So I think that um, if if I can go back and just talk to them and kind of share some of my experiences that can definitely um sparked some interest in the sport and hopefully get some dreams stirring for them. So I'm excited. And your mother, she shared something with me. She said that um, you have, you have a gift. And um, in that I'm trying, I'm just looking through the interview that I had with her and I just wanted to share something she said and that is, you know, Andrew has grown so much mentally the last year. His confidence level is where he feels he can die with anyone else in the world. Your father said that, um, and your mom said for a while there, he was thinking, who am I? I'm a diver, but who am I besides a diver? I don't want to be known as just a diver. That's something she shared with me. What do you want to be known as besides just a diver? Um, I think I just want to be known as just someone who, who loves the sport of diving but also has has some great things outside and and has a really balanced life. I think that what I learned in the past year that's really helped my mental game is just to have balance in your life because um I think before that I was kind of putting all my eggs in one basket and just focusing too much on diving and so through covid and stuff I definitely learned to kind of balance school and my social life and and diving pretty equally and I think that that's really gotten me to the next level. But yeah I just really want to want to help try to inspire the next generation because like I said diving is not a huge sport and we have a lot to give, it's such an exciting sport to watch and every four years at the olympics it is one of the most watched sports. But then after that it definitely dies down a little bit. So I would love to besides coaching in usa diving, help them try to grow the sport a little bit more. Gosh, you do it so gracefully. I know it's exceedingly difficult. It is, but you do it with such style, such skill. I'm impressed beyond words really. You certainly have a gift God has given you a true gift and I'm just excited to see what you do with it in your life. Thank you. Just competing but inspiring the younger generation. Yeah, you, you certainly be a role model. Um, your parents said that you, you, you really believe in paying it forward and that they thank you to do that, that you're going to do that in your life. Yeah. I mean that's that's something that they always taught me. I think that they're just such great examples of that they always give back and especially my mom with running the police activity league for the special needs unit, just giving back with some of the struggles that my brother had giving back to that community. Um, it was just so inspiring for me to grow up with and, and so I love trying to give back to to that community as well as just the larger usa diving community and athletics community just before making the dive. What, what is that? I mean, can you kind of describe it for me? Yeah, it's kind of hard to describe. And when you're up there, you kind of don't try to think about too much. So I'm mostly just trying to stay in my own zone and just think about what I'm, what I'm about to do. So you have to kind of get yourself to a mental place where nothing else really matters besides what you're about to do. So the crowd around you or or the expectations that you may put on yourself, they don't really matter in that moment and then after the competition is over, you can celebrate and stuff like that. But um, in the moment it's all about kind of the business that you're doing alright. Any, any final words as, um, the opening ceremony is friday, just a couple of days away. Um, no, that's going to be a momentous occasion for you to be there in the opening ceremonies. That's just got to be indescribable. Yeah, I'm just, I'm so glad that they're letting us walk in the opening ceremonies. I wasn't sure that that was going to be a possibility, but um, it's so exciting to be able to do that and I'm just hoping that a lot of people from back home are watching and hopefully you can see me in the opening ceremonies and then hopefully in my competition as well. But I'm just really grateful for all the support that I've gotten from, from back home in north Carolina and to new york, it's been pretty overwhelming. So I just want to say thank you to everyone, your dad, your mom and dad are going to be ball in. Their tear tears would be streaming down their faces. You know, my dad cries once a day. My mom, my mom is less of a crier than my dad, but your dad teared up with me today and he's bringing the opening ceremony takes place. That's when it's really gonna, that's, that's when it's gonna get real and he's gonna just, it's gonna let it out. Yeah, the tears will tom yeah, I think that's what it'll get real for all of us also and we have a really great team here and we've been so um like it's been such a close team and we've all grown up diving together, so it's it's really special to experience it with all of these people as well back um like here, Well thank you God speak to you, it's an honor to have this time with you, 20 or so minutes to to spend with me via Zoom. I appreciate you taking the time to do that really. I'm going to be watching and uh and I know you're gonna do exceptionally, You're gonna do an exceptional job, you're gonna make all of the United States proud and those of us here in Holly Springs, I live three miles away from you, so I'm I'm really brings as well. Yeah, I know you'll do us all very proud. Your impressive young man and I hope I can meet you in person sometime. Yeah. First year when I come back home, that'd be great. Good luck. And God bless you. All right. Thank you very much. Nice to talk to you. Nice talk to you as well, Right.