Resting against the neck of Kassidy Cook is a charm shaped like the state of Texas.
The necklace seems like a reminder of a former life, because Cook has endured so much since leaving for Stanford in 2013.
Tattooed on the inside of her wrist are the Olympic rings, which is one sign of such an evolution. She made the U.S. team for Rio in 2016, reaching a pinnacle that eluded her four years before.
But it's more than just the Olympics that made Cook the confident and charismatic woman she is today, it's been the injuries that nearly sidetracked her dreams. When she steps onto the springboard at the NCAA Championships (March 14-17 in Columbus, Ohio), it will mark the end of that Stanford journey, and possibly her diving career.
"When I think about all the obstacles and the things that have gotten in my way, and then I look at the things that I have accomplished, I'm truly so proud," Cook said. "I would have loved to stay healthy my four years, but it's made me a stronger athlete and a stronger person, having to be persistent and tackling those things head on."
In 2010, Cook was at the top of her game, winning the U.S. senior national championship on the 1-meter springboard, and the junior world championships at 1- and 3-meters.
But while still in high school -- three weeks after just missing the U.S. team for London by 0.04 points -- Cook tore her labrum. Six metal anchors were placed in her shoulder and Cook feared she might never regain the full range of motion for diving.
More shoulder surgery, then knee surgery, and more shoulder surgery followed. In a sport where an athlete must exude confidence for the judges and execute with precision, self-doubt and depression can be a killer. Cook started to lose her focus and considered quitting. The dream of the Olympics was dissipating like the vapor on a pool in the early morning.
Cook needed to revive her goals or they would be lost and took a year off school to hone in completely on one final push. Cook re-gathered herself and made the team. She placed 13th in the 3-meter springboard in Rio.
The Olympic experience was everything she hoped for. Indeed, it seemed no one had more fun at the opening ceremonies than Cook, who took selfies with U.S. team celebrities like Kevin Durant, Draymond Green, and Rickie Fowler.
Cook, a communication major, would like to head a social media department for a sports team. If her schedule allows, she will continue to dive. She's been diving since age 3.
The youngest of five kids, Kassidy followed her sister Kara, a diver at Purdue. All five of Kevin and Laura Cook's children have names starting with 'K'. All were introduced to diving, and even child modeling.
Kassidy's energy, she says, comes from her mom: "She's a freaking tiger. She's almost 60 and has more energy than I did when I was 7. She talks more than me and louder than me, which is kind of a hard thing to do."
Cook instantly stood out in diving. By 6, she was competing in 13-and-under.
"I was super competitive and wanted to be the best at everything," she said. "I loved the competitive spirit and the pressure."
She's not your typical diver. It requires calmness and Cook has energy to burn. It celebrates grace and Cook brings power.
"I'm not a afraid to lift heavy and push those limits in the weight room," said Cook, whose strong legs allow her to jump higher off the board. "That translates into springboard diving."
Cook doesn't remember life without diving, but the end is near, whether this year or two years from now. After an injury, there always was some initial fear on the board when she did return. But, in the end, there always was reassurance in repetition.
"My body knows how to do it," she said.
Those tens of thousands of dives have worked their way into Kassidy the person, as well as the diver. Even when her place in the sport is gone, that feeling will never go away.
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