Let’s dive into today's Friday Know-It-All, where Editor Ira explores the impressive life of Olympian Sammy Lee.

The more of these Friday-Know-It-All profiles I write, the more I understand that truth really is stranger than fiction. If I came across a character in a novel who was an Olympic gold medalist as well as a military combat veteran, a working doctor, and a civil rights pioneer, I’d likely scoff at the author for making their protagonist virtuous to the point of ridiculous. But that’s exactly the real-life person I’m about to describe to you.

Growing up in Great Depression-era Los Angeles, Sammy Lee couldn’t have seemed like a likely candidate to pull off any of those achievements. He was the working-class child of Korean immigrants who ran a restaurant and market, not an easy springboard to success in the 1930s. When the Olympics came to L.A. in 1934, though, young Sammy found his calling. He was mesmerized by the competition and decided to make himself an Olympic-caliber diver.

Before he could do that, though, he had to find a place to practice. That wasn’t an easy task in an era of segregated pools and beaches. The nearest “public” swimming pool only admitted non-white swimmers on Wednesdays — not coincidentally, the day before the facility’s weekly draining and cleaning. In a classic bit of vintage brand-washing, the day when children of color were allowed to submerge themselves in leftover water was billed as “International Day” at the pool.

Not to be deterred, Sammy found himself a coach and a hole. He procured the assistance of diving coach Jim Ryan, a legendary mentor with Olympics experience and a chip on his shoulder. Ryan had coached Egyptian diver Farid Simaika at the 1928 Olympics, where Simaika initially won a gold medal. That was withdrawn when the judges belatedly decided that he had been edged out by white American diver Pete Desjardins. Simaika later told Lee that the incident had outraged Ryan, who swore that he would be back to coach another diver of color to victory.

To that end, Ryan pushed Lee to his limits, having him dive over and over in a water-filled backyard sandpit that wasn’t beholden to discriminatory laws. At least one historian credits that makeshift practice facility for some of Lee’s future success. Biographer Pauline Yoo notes that the lack of a diving board eventually “gave him stronger leg muscles, which is why he was able to jump so high and perform those beautifully executed triple-somersault dives.”

In between his diving practices, Sammy was also studying medicine at L.A.’s Occidental College, as per his family’s wishes. He excelled in both areas. In 1942, he became the first person of color ever to win a U.S. National Diving Championship, taking home top awards in both the 3- and 10-meter platform events. He continued racking up awards for the next several years, although WWII canceled what likely would have been his first shots at the Olympics.

In 1947, Sammy graduated with an M.D. from the University of Southern California and also enlisted in the Army Reserves to help pay off his college debt. He was a medical corpsman by the time he made his Olympics debut at the 1948 games in London, where he made history and vindicated Coach Ryan by taking home the bronze in 3-meter springboard and the gold in 10-meter platform diving. That made Lee the second Asian American athlete to win an Olympic gold, after his close friend and fellow diver Vicki Draves won gold in the same events days earlier.

When the U.S. entered the Korean War, Lee expected to be sent overseas. Instead, his superiors told him to focus on the upcoming 1952 Olympics in Helsinki, telling him, “Major Lee, we’ve only got one doctor who can win an Olympic gold medal. We’ve got hundreds of doctors who can repair the wounded. You can go, but you better win.” And he did, bringing home his second gold.

Major Sammy Lee did see time overseas following his last Olympic excursion, serving in the Medical Corps in Korea for two years. Upon returning to California, he and his wife Rosalind attempted to buy a home in the town of Garden Grove, but were blocked due to the area’s racist housing laws. Lee worked with reporters at the San Francisco Chronicle to expose a network of blatantly discriminatory policies that meant that even a citizen as unimpeachable as an Olympic hero/war veteran/medical doctor could be barred for his skin color.

Lee’s efforts paid off eventually. Garden Grove did away with its segregationist housing policies and Dr. Sammy Lee became one of Orange County’s most celebrated citizens. He spent 35 years as a practicing ear, nose, and throat doctor and maintained an active side gig as a diving coach. He served as a mentor to Hollywood stunt performers as well as Olympic medalists such as Bob Webster, Pat McCormick, and Greg Louganis. He died in 2016 at the age of 96 and kept up a regular swimming schedule almost ‘til the end. Unlike his award-winning dives, I think it’s safe to say that Dr. Lee… made a sizable splash.