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Super Senior Dives into New Adventure

By Leland Kim

MANOA (KHNL) - If you've ever thought to yourself, "Boy I should've stayed in school". Then 76 year old Chris Christensen is your guy. Most of us have a 5 year plan to get out of college. Chris is on the 5 decade plan.

"I came here in 1956 to go to college and never left. I've been attending classes at the University of Hawaii longer than anyone on campus."

And after fifty-one years, eventually you wander into every corner of the campus, including the school pool.

"On the way to class, I'd come to recreational swim, before Mike finally said one day, would you like to learn to dive. And I said, Why not?"

Mike, is U.H. Diving Coach Mike Brown. Who saw Chris observing and asked him if he wanted to start doing.

he's been impressing ever since.

According to Brown, "He's learned the basics and built up bit by bit. And now he's going off the 10 meter at over 75 years old."

To reiterate, that's a 76 year old, leaping off the equivalent of a 3 story building. All born out of an interested observer, watching the U.H. Diving Team practice.

Christensen says, "Because they were the most interesting thing that was going on at the pool. You can't go to a pool where precision diving is going on and not look at it."

Assistant Coach Anita Rossing added, "I'm really impressed with his enthusiasm for life. And learning this kind of thing at this age. Who would think of learning diving after age 70?"

And here's the low down, on Chris' high diving. Let's just say he's not ready to get out of the pool just yet.

"As long as I breathe air and drink water, it's just something that I do."

Chris has been high diving for the last 5 years.

He says, that he has no plans of joining the U.H. Diving Team because he's just too busy with other endeavours.