Hobie Billingsley

Challenge Hobie Billingsley

This is the autobiography of Hobie Billingsley, the world's greatest diving coach in the history of the sport. You will be inspired and challenged to succeed beyond your dreams when you read this emotional, heart-warming story. Growing up with a single parent mother in poverty during the depression, Hobie sneaks into the Erie, Pennsylvania YMCA so frequently at age 8 that they ignore him. He is taken under the wing of the swimming and diving coach there, and overcomes all kinds of obstacles to his success. His coach suggests he go to compete in a national diving meet at Yale University where he is befriended by all the great divers at the time from Ohio State University who teach him their techniques. He ends up enrolling at Ohio State and becomes an All-American all four years, and national champion. But his competitive career is interrupted by WW II and serves in the Army Air Corps. When he returns to Ohio State after the war, he continues to dive and also compete on the gymnastics team and becomes the head cheerleader for Ohio State. He ultimately becomes only the second collegiate diving coach ever hired at Indiana University, and takes a non-existent diving program to unequalled heights of success by challenging every one of his divers to excel beyond their dreams. And he produces 132 International Olympic and National Champions. This is a fascinating story that will have you laugh one moment and cry the next that keep you spellbound to turn the next page. And enjoyable read for all ages and avocations. Well written and edited with excellent pictures depicting the history of diving for the last fifty years.