In 1982 Kelly won the first of 9 National Championships (6-3m springboard, 3-10m platform) and an Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women 3m springboard championship. In 1983 she won the Pan American Games gold medal, but in 1984 she battled a back injury that hospitalized her for six weeks before the Olympic trials. After being convinced to not quit, she recovered to win the Trials and then the Olympic silver medal on the 3m springboard in Los Angeles behind Canada’s Hall of Famer Sylvie Bernier.