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ILLUSTRATED VOLUME 25, ISSUE 3 91 f committed to the Boilermakers as a high school junior, then started training under Soldati. "We didn't train for consistency," he said of his pre- vious coaching. "We trained just to train. We did a lot of dives on 10-meter but not enough basics to make those dives consistent and I'd get in the competitions and ev- erything would either be for 10s or for 1s, there would be nothing in between, and I just couldn't take that any more. "I wasn't performing as well as I wanted and I wasn't having fun at practice. I wasn't enjoying diving at all. And I just needed a change." Now, Johnson feels he has the tools in place to meet his lofty expectations, training with Soldati, Boudia, Dunnichay and the rest of the Purdue team. He's work- ing to improve his 1- and 3-meter springboard scores, trying to bring those up to the platform, where he's more experienced. And Johnson will keep his eyes on the present, diving for the Boilermakers and aiming for Big Ten and NCAA titles, but looking toward Rio, too. "If we have our eyes set on him reaching his great- est potential down the road — there's multiple down the roads, there's Rio in two years and more — and by continuing to take steps for him to be the best that he can long term, the short term will take care of itself," Soldati said. "He's good enough to get it done on the college scene." 'FOR MY FAMILY' In early December, David Boudia pushed a stroller on the deck of the Aquatics Center, with 3-month-old daughter Dakoda along for the ride. Boudia's wife, Sonnie, had an appointment, and there was no babysitter available, so David, an Olympic gold medalist — and reformed "punk" — brought his newborn along. That's a change. So much has happened since Boudia was the bright- eyed freshman: Six NCAA titles, a gold medal, endorse- ment deals, a TV show, marriage, homeownership in West Lafayette, fatherhood. But he's still chasing it, grinding every day for another opportunity at Olympic glory. "I think it's harder to come in to practice every day and still think 'Why are you doing this? You already won the gold medal. You already kind of accomplished everything you wanted to in the sport. So why do you do it now?'" the Noblesville, Ind., native said. "So my motivation is still to bring God glory through my diving, but it's not about the gold anymore because I already won it. Now, it's, 'I would love to do well because this can provide for my family and provide a future for them.' It's totally dif- ferent, two years out from London to now two years out from Rio." Don't mistake, he says, the competitive fire remains. Boudia plays Monopoly, like the other night when Son- nie invited a couple over to the house, intent on win- ning, only doing so now with an ear to a baby monitor, as well. "It's different for all of us, situations in life change," said Soldati, himself a father of six. "That makes things different in his case, but it's all good. The gold medal brings all kinds of pros and cons, but we've been able to kind of keep a network around him to keep him bal- anced, and now being married with a kid, he under- stands at a greater level now what's important. He can keep diving with the right perspective." But repeating as the platform Gold medalist won't be