Meet Laura Wilkinson and Her Pets

Event: Diving

Hometown: Houston, Texas

2000 Olympics Champion. Third Olympic Games

Pet's Name: Dog: Sam & Charlie

Cats: Callie & Nikki

Breed: Dogs: Shih Tzus

Cats: American Shorthair Calicos

Charlie is the white dog; Nikki is the gray cat on the right.

Where did you get your pets?

Charlie was a gift to a young girl who wasn't able to take care of him, so she was trying to find a home for him. I played with him once and fell in love and decided right there we needed each other. When Charlie was 2-years-old he was starting to mope and act bored and we thought he needed a friend. So we went looking for another Shih Tzu (because Charlie is so great). I made a lot of calls from ads in the paper and we ended up finding little Sammie shortly after. It was hard not to take home every puppy!

What are your dogs' favorite things to do?

Sam loves to play fetch and he likes to wrestle and just run as fast as he can around the house or yard. Charlie has some breathing problems, so he gets winded easily but he still loves to play tug of war with us and with Sam. He also just loves to be outside.

How do you keep all your pets trained?

Consistency!

Do your pets help you train?

My husband has brought the dogs to the pool a few times for fun and they like it, but they don't train with me. Sometimes when I do exercises in the house they try to participate. When I do abs they try to climb on me or lick my face and when I do plyometrics they try to jump with me or get in between my feet. It's funny but not very productive.

What do your pets like to do together?

I love it when they play together- it just doesn't get any cuter than that! I also ask them if they want to "help me" and they'll follow me around the house as I do chores. And I love it when they just walk over and want to cuddle with me.

This photo is of all the animals making me feel better after my last wrist surgery.

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