Jordan Windle, born on November 13, 1998, in Sihanoukville, Cambodia, is a Cambodian-American Olympic diver. At just 24 years old, he has already made history as the first diver of Cambodian descent to compete in the Olympics. Windle’s inspiring journey from a Cambodian orphanage to Olympic glory is a story worth sharing.
Early Life and Adoption
Windle’s early life was marked by tragedy. His biological parents died when he was just one year old, and he was placed in an orphanage in Chom Chao, where the nannies named him Pisey, which means “little darling” in English. At the age of 18 months, he was adopted by Jerry Windle, a single gay man from Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Windle’s adoption led to him being bullied as a child because of his interracial adoption and for having a gay father.
Diving Career
Windle’s diving career began when he was seven years old, and his father enrolled him in the Fort Lauderdale Aquatics Fun Camp. It was here that he was noticed by diving coach Tim O’Brien, son of Ron O’Brien, who coached four-time Olympic gold medalist Greg Louganis. O’Brien recognized Windle’s talent and told his father that if he enrolled Jordan into a diving program, he would one day be a National Champion and potentially an Olympian.
Windle’s first diving coach was Evan Linette, a former national champion diver. He trained for four years in Fort Lauderdale with Evan and Dave Burgering, a 1980 Olympic Team Member and Olympic diving Coach. At the age of nine, Windle won his first junior national title and has been referred to as “Little Louganis” ever since.
The family then moved to the USA Diving National Training Center in Indianapolis, Indiana, where Windle trained and qualified to compete at the Olympic Team Trials at the age of 13. Following the 2012 Olympics, Windle began training at Duke University under coach Nunzio Esposto before being recruited to dive for the University of Texas and coached by Olympian and Olympic Coach Matt Scoggin.
Windle’s diving achievements are remarkable. He is a seven-time U.S. Senior National Champion and a six-time U.S. Junior National Diving Champion. He holds the NCAA Div 1 records for both the 3m springboard and the platform events. Windle is the only diver to win Diver of the Year four years in a row in the Big 12 Conference. In 2012, Windle became the youngest person ever to qualify for the U.S. Olympic diving trials.
In 2021, Windle was a member of the U.S. Olympic Team representing the United States at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo in the men’s 10 meters platform event, where he finished in ninth place.
Personal Life
Windle’s personal life has been marked by challenges, including bullying as a child and the loss of his biological parents. However, he has used his experiences to become an ally of the LGBT community and has participated in the It Gets Better Project.
Jordan Windle’s inspiring story is one of perseverance and determination. From his humble beginnings in a Cambodian orphanage to becoming an Olympic diver, Windle has shown that anything is possible with hard work and dedication.
