It has always been the greatest honor to wear and represent the Stars and Stripes throughout my diving career. I’m proud to live in a country that had to stand up and fight for its freedom and has continued to do so over and over again for 250 years. Things of great value do not come easily and have to be earned. In the case of freedom, it’s a continued mission- one we can’t rest our laurels on and assume it will always be there. In sports, winning once does not guarantee the next win. You have to stay diligent, keep working, strategizing, getting creative and push forward in the belief that it’s possible to do it again, especially after you’ve proven it’s possible. The pursuit of freedom is similar. We’ve earned it, tasted it and know the feeling of it. But there will always be an opponent rising up and threatening to snatch that title away. As we celebrate an incredible 250 years of the United States of America, freedom and independence, stay vigilant and stand firm. Happy birt...