By Josh Patterson, For The Herald Bulletin
MIDDLETOWN — To see Kate Hillman on the diving board, so graceful, so elegant, one would think it was her destiny from a young age to excel in the pool.
While destiny doesn’t always take the straightest path, the winding road paid off for the Shenandoah senior. Powered by a state runner-up finish in diving, the Indiana University-bound Hillman earned Prep of the Year honors for girls swimming.
Her athletic journey did begin early, as Hillman started competing in gymnastics at age four. She quickly grew to love the sport, continuing to compete until a freak accident caused her trek to veer wildly off course.
In the summer before her sixth-grade year, Hillman suffered a fracture of the L4 vertebrae in her back while competing in gymnastics. The injury would ultimately sideline her from all athletic competition for a year, forcing her into a back brace for six weeks and a wheelchair upon the start of classes that fall.
That injury didn’t stop Hillman from competing. In fact, she continued to pursue gymnastics for six weeks, including a trip to the state finals, before she finally let on that something was wrong.
“We didn’t even know she did it at first,” Hillman’s mother and coach, Lisa Hillman, said. “She has a very high tolerance for pain. When she finally did tell us, it took forever to even find out what was wrong.”
Lisa explained that her daughter’s the type to pour her heart into anything she does. However, upon returning to gymnastics after her layoff, Kate didn’t find the same joy for the sport.
Searching for a suitable substitute, the younger Hillman tried out cheerleading, volleyball, track — “We counted at one time, and she was doing seven different things,” Lisa Hillman said — but another twist of fate led Kate to the diving board.
“I had a friend that dove, and she told me I should come out,” Kate said. “I went out and tried it, and I loved it.”
Destiny would intervene again soon after Hillman got her start in diving. Enter Kevin Rockhill, who runs Starz Diving, an Indianapolis-based club for diving similar to the AAU program for basketball.
Hillman was practicing in Noblesville, and faltered on a dive off the five-meter tower. However, she righted herself to complete the attempt, and Rockhill knew he had a star in the making.
“He couldn’t believe she corrected herself in the air like she did,” Lisa Hillman said. “He always believed she had something wonderful about her.”
Perhaps even more amazing than Kate Hillman’s natural ability is her humility. Having just four years’ experience under her belt, Hillman posted the highest score in the state during sectional competition en route to a runner-up finish in the state finals.
Although a career in the Big Ten Conference courtesy of a diving scholarship to Indiana awaits, Hillman explained that she’s nowhere near where she wants to be.
“I still don’t think I’m that good,” Hillman says. “I see that I have a ton of improvement to do. Everyone tells me that I’m doing well, but I don’t always believe them.
“That’s just my nature. I see improvement where others see success.”
If destiny hadn’t intervened, however, perhaps she never would have seen this success at all.
“God has blessed me with many talents, and diving is one of them,” Hillman said. “Whatever I do, I pour my heart into. I just fell in love with it.”
