David Bonuchi started diving when he was 11, and it didn't take his coach, Jamie Sweeney long to realize Bonuchi had amazing talent.

"At the end of practice he asked if he could have a couple of minutes of free time and I said sure, thinking he would do some cannon balls or something. And here he did front doubles and reverse doubles and all sorts of crazy stuff," said Sweeney.

For Bonuchi, the jumping started early.

"Ever since I was a little kid I jumped off my balcony. My mom was worrying about me constantly because I was doing crazy stuff," Bonuchi said.

In an interview with Bonuchi four years ago he was quoted saying: "This is gonna be it... I'm scared... Ahhhhhhhh."

However, now the fear is long gone, and he continues to climb the diving ranks. The better he falls, the more expectations rise.

"If he can work hard, and he can work with me, and we can stick this out for a couple years...maybe he will be in a position to do something on the Olympic-Level," said Sweeney.

"I guess it's my dream to be in the Olympics and I think it's a realistic goal," Bonuchi said.

With Bonuchi's difficult dives, it's really not a stretch.

"The one that I like the most is a back two and one half somersault with one and a half twist," said Sweeney.

Bonuchi is 16 now and travels the world for international diving meets, collecting championships and friends along the way.

"Some from Spain and Germany. I met some people from China, but they don't really have Facebook," said Bonuchi.

Sweeney helps keep Bonuchi focused on his goals.

"We do have times when he wants to be a normal kid and then there are other times when he wants to be a national champion," said Sweeney.

But, Bonuchi has hit some rough water. Earlier this year he had to deal with an injury.

"I went to squat and I heard a pop. They said I had a torn calf muscle. I still did an inward one and a half pike and I crushed it. He (Sweeney) was like that's good, and I was like I'm dying," said Bonuchi.

What makes Bonuchi elite is he doesn't just excel off the one-meter springboard or the three-meter. He also can handle the 10-meter platform.

"I feel like I have to be good on all boards to prove that I'm not a fluke, that he's winning meets just because," said Bonuchi.

There's no doubting his focus, his ability, or his potential.

"He's opened my eyes and showed me that he's better than I thought, Which is unbelievable because I know he can get 10's on dives usually in a competition. That's where this kid shines," Sweeney said.

Bonuchi is going into his senior season at Hickman. He won the high school diving championship by almost 80 points last year, only 3 points away from breaking the state record. Sweeney says the average Olympic diver is somewhere between 20 and 30 years old. Bonuchi will be 19 in 2012.