When University of Tennessee diving coach Dave Parrington recruited sophomore Dawn Burton from California, he was a bit concerned. Dawn barely said a word during her first trip to Knoxville.

Kelly Eason, Athletes in Action staff member at UT since 1993, remembers the first time she met with the 5-foot-9 Lady Volunteer. "I went into her room, we sat on her bed and she didn't say a word," says Kelly. "I asked her every question I could think of and got nothing but yes, no, yes, no. I wanted to leave."

Now, four years later, Dave chuckles thinking back to that first weekend. '"Although Dawn's somewhat reserved," says Dave, "she has grown in confidence and as a leader." Kelly sees the difference as well. She looks forward to meeting Dawn every week, and conversation seldom lags.

"I would not be where I am right now if Kelly had not laid before me the challenges that she has," says Dawn. "[Challenges] as small as 'Call this person and invite them to a meeting' or 'Start this Bible study.' I'm thankful that she helped me be a part of what God was doing."

Dawn Burton exemplifies the volunteer spirit of Tennessee. Whether diving off a 10-meter platform, leading a Bible study with athletes or working with runaway girls at a Knoxville shelter, the social-work major gives her all. Furthermore, she takes her involvement with Athletes in Action—Campus Crusade for Christ's outreach to athletes—as seriously as she does her diving.

After winning the Southeastern Conference platform-diving title last year, the fifth-year senior continues to lift weights with the Lady Vols even though her eligibility is done. Between classes and maintaining a 3.7 GPA, she works with her coach to fulfill part of her scholarship requirement.

"Dawn's most consistent on the 10-meter platform," says coach Parrington, who also coached in the '96 Olympics. "I like the feeling of free falling," says Dawn with a smile. "It's like, defying what you shouldn't be able to do."

	"My job is to help people move closer to God," says AIA staff member Kelly Eason (above, with blond hair).

Dawn may like the feeling, but diving requires serious commitment. Hitting the water from the height of a three-story building takes as much toll on a person as lifting the heaviest weights possible. In fact, a diver can only take practice dives twice a week.

"I've known Dawn since the fall of '95," says Kathy Pesek, fellow UT diver, "She's one of the hardest workers I know. People really respect her. The way she lives her life and handles situations is a good example."

Since swim teams have a reputation for being wild, Dawn's behavior stands out. "All it takes," says Kelly, "is one athlete on a team willing to stand up and say, "I'm going to walk with God no matter what." On the swim team it all started with Ashley Setteth in 1993. Two other swimmers got involved in AIA before Dawn transferred to UT the next year.

Right away Ashley talked to Dawn about AIA. The new diver jumped right in and helped with a Bible study. "How thankful I am that Ashley, Angie and Tina stood up and took a stand for Christ on the swim team," says Dawn, "and then I came in and was able to be a part of a team where God was at work."

Last year, Dawn, who became a Christian as a child, began her own Bible study. But it didn't go smoothly. Nobody showed up more than once. One time, a woman said they could meet in her dorm room, but forgot and scheduled a party instead. "Dawn called me up bawling," says Kelly, "telling me how she felt so rejected."

But Dawn kept at it and her perseverance paid off. She now leads a Bible study on Sunday night with a diver, a rower, a soccer player and a sprinter named Marquita Knight. Dawn also meets one-to-one with Marquita, teaching her to grow spiritually and to influence others for Christ. Dawn learned to disciple others in this way last summer during an AIA summer project.

"I knew my next step was to meet one-to-one with gals back on campus," says Dawn, thinking back to the summer. "But I was scared [about] how it would go and what I would do. As part of the leadership team on the summer project, I met with the four action-group leaders to see how their groups were going." This experience prepared Dawn to return to UT.

Athletes like Marquita Knight use their platform to tell their friends about Christ.

Yet making time for people and opening up isn't easy. "I've always been independent," admits Dawn. "Kelly's taught me to bring someone with me when I run errands. Letting them in on my life is hard for me to do."

But she takes ministry too seriously to quit. She met with Marquita one morning to walk around the track and pray for the women on the track team. Then they plastered posters for the monthly AIA meeting in places athletes hang out. Just like Kelly challenged Dawn, the Lady Vols diver pushes Marquita to step out and trust God.

At practice, Marquita stood up before her track team and told them how AIA has helped her as an athlete. "AIA helped me come to know the reason why I run—for the glory of God," says the African American from New York. "My parents wanted me to get a scholarship, so I ran for the scholarship. People were impressed, so I ran to impress people. But when I came to UT that wasn't enough. I now channel my energy into running for God." Since Marquita stood up in front of her teammates, several women have come out for a Bible study that Kelly is training Marquita to lead.

Seeing a difference in the lives of students like Marquita drives Joan Cronan, UT women's athletic director for the last 14 years. "Sports is life with the volume turned up," says Joan. "We work with 18- to 22-year-olds who live away from home for the first time and face a lot of pressure. The opportunity to have AIA on campus is a gift. I see a difference in athletes' lives and in their attitude toward competition."

Dawn's challenges to Marquita make a difference. Last summer Dawn wrote a letter to Marquita explaining how she quit reading her Bible when she left her normal campus routine. That letter prompted Marquita to get in the Word every day, rather than her own sporadic reading. "Marquita is reliable," says Dawn, "so that's who I want to spend more of my time with. There are not a lot of faithful people."

Faithfulness could be Dawn's middle name. "Dawn is dependable," says Kelly. "I never have to ask her if she's done something. If she says she's gonna be somewhere, she's gonna be there, and if she's not, something's wrong."

Dawn has always taken her commitments seriously, even as a 5-year-old taking gymnastics. Usually the first to show up at practice and the last to leave, if she arrived late she sobbed in the car.

Later, as a teenager, she carried the same intensity into diving, often making her older sister, Jayme, wait while Dawn tried to get something just right before leaving diving practice. "Dawn was always committed and disciplined beyond her years," says Jayme. "She puts everything into what she does. She won't settle for less."

"I struggle with being a perfectionist," admits Dawn. "I'm learning to do my best and be satisfied with that. Regardless if I'm first or if I'm last, I always ask if I was motivated by Christ's love and if I was giving thanks to Him through my performance. I'm disappointed in myself if I don't give 100 percent."

Dawn gives 100 percent to diving, and she gives 100 percent to her ministry through Athletes in Action. After all, she doesn't know any other way—she always jumps in headfirst.

To learn more about AIA call (937) 352-1000, e-mail aiacom@aol.com or check out their Web page at http://www.athletesinaction.org/.