Olympian Julia Wilkinson peddling Pan Am Games at FINA diving event

The Windsor leg of the FINA Diving World Series event begins Friday at the downtown aquatic centre.

Top divers from around the world are here for the event.

In the stands, meanwhile, will be Julia Wilkinson, a former Canadian Olympian in swimming.

She's here to encourage the divers to help promote the upcoming Pan Am Games in Toronto.

Wilkinson told CBC's Windsor Morning she'd also like to see families in Windsor make time for the Pan Ams.

"It's only four hours down the road. It's the summer. Your kids aren't in school. If you take them to one day of the Pan Am Games, they see one event, that could be their moment. That could be their moment of inspiration," Wilkinson said. "I think you take one day out of your summer to do that for your children, and it could set them on a path to greatness."

CBC News has learned that roughly 30 per cent of Pan Am Games tickets have been sold, that's about 400,000 out of the 1.4 million tickets available. Organizers are confident they can sell 1 million tickets before the games begin.

The Pan Am Games run July 10-26 in Toronto.

In Windsor, the diving competitions begin at noon Friday at the downtown aquatic centre.

A weekend pass costs $50 for adults, with day passes costing $20 on Friday and Saturday and $25 on Sunday.

"People in Windsor should come out and watch this this weekend, because you have some of the best athletes that people would die to see live, and you can see them here this weekend," Wilkinson said. "It's tough top competition, so they're going to walk away from this weekend and be able to say, 'Where do I stack up with some of the best divers in the world?'"