GILBERT, Ariz. - Tempe native Sam Dorman and his diving partner Michael Hixon finished strong to take the silver medal in 3-meter synchronized diving Wednesday in Rio.
Some 6,000 miles away, the rest of Dorman's family anxiously watched from a restaurant in Gilbert.
"He has a big family and we are behind him 200 percent," Sam's grandfather Fito Trujillo said before the competition.
Dorman's grandmother was there too.
"I used to babysit him and he used to dive then," she said. "One time he dove right into the TV. Split his lip."
Dorman's techniques have improved greatly over the years as he and Hixon stormed all the way back from seventh place to take the silver medal.
Minutes after the competition, Sam's mother Marla called.
"She wanted to know if I could believe it and if I was ready to cry," Trujillo said. "I'm ready to cry."
