As a child, Allison Brennan never thought of becoming a world-class diver. A gymnast for ten years, it was not until she was 15 years old that she stumbled across the sport after watching her older sister practice. She decided to give it a try- exceeding expectations to develop into one of the nation’s top divers.

 With years of competing at both national and international level, 2009 has been no exception. In May, she captured a gold medal in the three-meter spring board competition at the USA Diving Grand Prix in Fort Lauderdale, Fl. In response to her outstanding performance, the U.S. Olympic Committee recognized her as their athlete of the month.

 Brennan’s performance in Fort Lauderdale came after the highlight of her career to date. At the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team Trials, she placed third in the three-meter springboard (with 994.14 points)-qualifying her as an alternate at the games in Beijing.

 Prior to her trip to Beijing as an alternate, Brennan had extensive experience on the international stage. She was a member of the U.S. squad for the 2003, and 2005 World University Games, 2006 FINA Diving World Cup, 2007 FINA World Championships, Italian Grand Prix, and Grand Prix China Open.

 In the states, Brennan is seen amongst her peers as one of the best in her events. It was her four years at the University of South Carolina (2002-‘06) that provided the platform for her career to blossom.

 As a member of the Gamecocks swimming and diving team, Brennan won the first and only NCAA Championship title for the program in 2004 in the one-meter event. During her senior campaign in 2006, she was named the SEC Diver of the Year after capturing both the one and three-meter events. She then went on to be the runner-up in the one-meter at the 2006 NCAA Championships. As a result, the University of South Carolina named her the Athlete of the Year. In total, Brennan was an NCAA All-American every year of her college career. For her accomplishments, she was named a South Carolina Hall of Famer.

 Brennan has also placed herself on the podium at numerous national competitions, including winning gold in the three-meter event at the 2006 Kaiser Permanente National Diving Championships. She was the spring national diving championship bronze medalist in the event the following year, and also again at the 2008 Kaiser Permanente National Diving Championships.

 With the goal of competing up until the 2012 Olympic games, Brennan trains four hours a day, six days a week. She is now the assistant diving coach at the University of South Carolina where all of her glory began.