By By Matthew Nascone
As a part of the Ernest Ward Eagles swimming and diving team John McCullough was the Escambia County, Fla. and Division 1A champion in 2005.
McCullough will be a freshman at Northview in the fall and plans to continue to swim and dive for the Chiefs, but first he has another obligation. He is the diving instructor for the summer at the Atmore City Pool at Tom Byrne Park.
"It is nice to try and teach them and think that they could become as good as me," McCullough said. "It is a great feeling to help them learn how to dive."
Swimming has been a part of McCullough's life since he was three years old and he said it has always been fun for him. He said he began learning advanced diving tricks when he was nine years old and he began competing at that age.
Kim McCullough, John's mother, said it has been a joy to watch her son accomplish so much before he hit high school.
"I have always told him if you work hard at something, you will eventually have success," she said. "And it is great thing that he is putting his talents to use to help someone else."
John said Betty Warren, City pool administrator, noticed his diving skills when he took the diving class last year at the pool. John said he took the class to get some extra practice in before the season.
"She saw me diving last year and she told me I was going to be the diving instructor next year," McCullough said. "And that is how I got the job."
McCullough's diving lessons are on Monday through Friday at 11 a.m. He also teaches swimming classes before the diving lessons from 9 a.m. until 11 a.m.
When he is not in the pool, McCullough is playing baseball in the Northwest Escambia league.
John is the son of Kim and John McCullough.