Princeton Olympian Lesley Bush Dives into History

As a 16-year-old girl growing up and attending Princeton High School in the winter of 1964, Lesley Bush wasn't sure how many people knew her in her own hometown.

By the end of 1964, Bush made sure no one would forget her.

Bush won the gold medal in platform diving in the Tokyo Olympics in 1964. Now, 48 years later, Bush is still remembered. She was among a dozen former Olympic athletes honored before a Lakewood Blueclaws game on Wednesday, June 13.

"It's nice to be remembered," Bush said.

Lakewood honored the athletes, in part, to build enthusiasm for the upcoming Sumer Olympics in London, set to begin in July. Fans will follow the U.S. athletes on television and the internet. The winners will come home to appearances with Jay Leno or David Letterman. Some will even grace the covers of magazines and earn millions in endorsement deals.

"It was a lot different in my day," Bush said. "You just came home."

And yet, Bush had one of those stories America just loves. In a different time period, she may have been a big star.

"I was the darkest of darkhorses," Bush said.

She wasn't a big star at Princeton High before the Olympics.

"We didn't have a diving team at Princeton High," Bush said. "I don't even think we had a swimming team. There were no facilities. I learned how to dive in Mountain Lakes, New Jersey. It was all at the private level. They called it AAU, the Amateur Athletic Union.

"I started when I was about 9, I guess," she said. "I just liked it. I practiced a
little bit. My parents said if I worked hard and was nice to my brother, I could do it."

Lesley's brother, Dave, also benefitted. The two siblings would both go on to make the U.S. Olympic diving teams. Yet, even at the start of Lesley Bush's gold medal year, that didn't seem possble.

In early 1964, it didn't seem like Bush had a chance to make the U.S. team. She was ranked 16th in the country. 

"I don't even know how many people knew me at my school," Bush said. 

Yet, as the year progressed, Bush kept improving. She landed one of the three spots on the U.S. Olympics team. Better yet, it came without any burden of expectations.

"I wasn't expected to win anything," Bush said.

Ingred Kramer-Engel of Germany was the defending gold medalist in springboard and platform diving. Kramer-Engel would defend her title in springboard, but she would have to settle for a silver medal in platform diving in Tokyo. A girl from the U.S., named Lesley Bush, took the lead in the platform diving after the first round and held on to win.

It was a remarkable achievement in a sport that doesn't really lend itself to major upsets. Divers have to be so precise - and on numerous occasions. 

"I learned that at the 1968 Olympics when I had a bad first dive and was out of contention," Bush said.

Bush retired after the 1968 Olympics. David Bush carried on the family tradition, competing for the U.S. in diving at the 1972 Olympics in Munich, Germany.

"We were definitely a part of three of the (more politically complex Olympics)," Bush said.

Bush's father had fought in World War II in Europe. He was expecting to be
sent to Japan when the war ended. He then came home, had two children who would compete in Olympics in Japan and Germany.

"I can't say I was thinking about that at the time," Bush said. "When I was in Japan, they didn't take us around to a lot of places. I didn't see (if there was still areas that hadn't recovered from the war). I know we had been to war with Japan, but that was not my Olympic experience. Mine was one of sportsmanship and camaraderie."

Lesley Bush's Olympics was also one of a stunning upset. Even Bush's parents couldn't believe their daughter had won when they first heard the news. It wasn't until Lesley confirmed it on a phone call that they realized they had an Olympic champion in the family.

"I came home a little early, before the closing ceremonies," Bush said. "My mother knew I wasn't good with surprises, so she told me they were going to hold a parade for me down Nassau Street. They were going to let all of school kids out. It was awesome."

Suddenly, people knew Lesley Bush. Now, almost 48 years later, they still do. She was a Pan-American Gold Medalist in 1967. She is a member of the International Swimming Hall of Fame.

Bush is also known in the area for years of teaching. While some of that teaching has come out of state, Bush was a science teacher at West Windsor High in the late 1970s and early 1980s. She has also worked locally in elementary schools.

"The students would ask about it (the Olympics)," Bush said. "I can't even tell you how many people have touched my gold medal or worn it around their neck. They'd ask questions, but I know the tricks. There are times and places that we can talk about my Olympic experience, but it was not going to be during one of my lectures (laughs)."

While officially retired, Bush continues to teach on a part-time basis. She currently teaches gardening to elementary students in Princeton. It seems fitting for Bush. You start with a good seed, nurture it and one never knows what can grow. The same holds true for plants and Olympic legends. As the years go by, they grow in stature.