La Porte has always been known for breeding great swimmers, but what about divers?
Josh Arndt, a senior at La Porte High School, has set new standards for the sport of diving not only in the La Porte County, but also throughout the entire state.
Born and raised in La Porte, Arndt tried a variety of activities growing up. Throughout middle school he played football and baseball on various traveling leagues and was even really big into skateboarding. However, nothing stuck with him.
“I honestly didn’t know diving existed until my freshmen year when someone mentioned it in gym class. I figured I might as well give it a shot,” Arndt said.
Though Arndt faced hardships with the sport, amazingly, he proved to have a raw talent for diving and decided to continue diving at least for the rest of his high school career.
“My sophomore year I considered quitting. I was pretty mediocre, and I didn't take it seriously. I went to Nationals that summer, and that's when I realized diving was something that I really wanted to be good at, and it took off from there,” Arndt said.
Since Arndt committed fully to diving, he has broken every La Porte pool record as well as numerous other high school records in the area. He has even become a two-time state champion in the same event, which is something no one in La Porte has ever been able to do.
“I never thought I'd make it this far. I didn't take the sport too seriously when I joined, but I would always joke about being where I am now. Crazy to see that I've made it,” Arndt said.
He says his coach, Melvin Kovenz, along with his parents and his role model Mark Lenzi, have given him the strength to continue and never give up on himself.
“Well, my parents have always been 100 percent behind me, which I'm really thankful for,” Arndt said. “I think the person that encouraged me most was my coach, Melvin Kovenz, he believed in me when I didn't believe in myself.
“My role model was Mark Lenzi. I watched his videos over and over again and modeled my diving after his. I've been told many times that I remind people of him, which is an honor for me. Sadly, he passed away last year. He was the last person that I wanted to meet, it's a shame I never got the chance.”
Arndt now helps teach others to dive and follow their dreams by spending his summers at LaPorte High School’s natatorium hoping to give kids just like him the opportunity to do something amazing.
“Diving is a feeling unlike anything else. It's a sense of weightlessness. It gets the adrenaline pumping. There's just no better feeling to me than flying through the air, then hitting the water with as little splash as possible,” Arndt said.
Though Arndt has achieved some amazing accomplishments in his career, he is the first to admit it wasn’t always easy or what he thought he wanted at the time.
“The hardest thing I had to deal with was the pressure this year,” Arndt said. “Coming into my senior year as defending state champion had its perks, but the stress was ridiculous. Everyone looked to me to set the pace; I was the guy to beat. I broke down a few times throughout season. Completely bawled my eyes out at the New Prairie meet after I shattered their pool record. Not because I was happy, but because I felt that I didn't deserve it, I didn't feel like I was good enough. I realize now that it was just a bit of humility, I worked for everything I got, and I couldn't be more proud of what I've done.”
Arndt’s hard work paid off when his dream college, Indiana University, offered him a place on their diving team for his entire college career.
“I’m so happy to say that I'll be attending Indiana University in the fall, and studying Computer Science. I have committed to diving at IU, and I will be shooting for Rio 2016,” he said.
Arndt’s ultimate goal is to make it to the Olympic Games, specifically the 2016 Olympics held in Rio De Janeiro.
“My ultimate goal is to reach the Olympics. I don't need to win it, although that would be great, I just want to go. I want to experience what it is like to dive among some of the greatest athletes in the world,” Arndt said.
Arndt has given hope to so many others throughout the nation that they too will be able to accomplish what they once thought was impossible.
“Some advice I have is to stick with it: Always try to improve, and never give up on it. Every athlete has the drive to win, but some need to lose before they realize what they can do. I placed 22nd at nationals after my sophomore year and that's what kicked me into wanting it. Do it for yourself and nobody else. You're the only person you need to satisfy,” said Arndt.