Diving Into Excellence: SLHS graduate student Delaney Schnell reflects on remarkable run to 2024 Paris Olympics

Delaney Schnell, a silver medalist and two-time representative of Team U.S.A. in the Olympics, has dedicated her life to becoming one of the top divers on the planet.

Schnell also shines as a graduate student, where she is on her way to graduating from Speech, Language & Hearing Sciences at the University of Arizona. Her goal once her decorated athletic career has concluded? To become a speech-language pathologist and work with adults recovering from traumatic brain injuries, and other acute conditions, to address concerns with swallowing, speech, and language.

A lifelong pursuit of excellence

Schnell has been diving since she was 10 years old, and as she tells it, she fell in love with the sport instantly.

“I really like the excitement of the sport,” Schnell said. “It challenges me in a very unique way, and I just really like that. I like to be challenged. I like to be pushed.”

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Schnell said that it is not only the physical exertion and training that fuels her love of diving, but the mental fortitude, artistry, and flexibility required to excel in the sport.

And excel she does. 

Over her diving career, Schnell has made a name for herself as an incredibly accomplished athlete, earning three the Pac-12 Diver of the Year titles, setting multiple university records, and winning six Pac-12 diving championships, as well as the 2023 NCAA national championship, among many other accolades. 

Schnell also earned a silver medal in the 10-meter synchronized platform dive at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 alongside her teammate, Jessica Parratto, and placed fifth in the individual event. 

“That was such an exciting moment,” Schnell said. “Going to the Olympic Games for the first time.” 

This summer Schnell once again returned to the world stage, representing team USA in both the synchronized event and the individual platform dive.

Schnell said her main goal going into the 2024 games was to be on the podium for her individual event.

“In Tokyo, I missed out on a medal by two places,” she said. “It wasn't my day, unfortunately.” 

In Paris, Schnell and Parratto came in 6th in the Synchronized 10-Meter event and Schnell herself finished 15th in the women’s 10-meter semifinals. 

Even though she didn’t make it to the podium this year, Schnell said she is still proud of her accomplishments, and grateful for her olympic experience.

“To even say that I've been to the Olympics is incredible,” Schnell said. “I got to experience the covid games, but now I also got to experience the full Olympic Games.”

According to Schnell, the unusually short timeline between the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, and this summer’s Paris games presented a significant challenge in her preparation.

“I think the thing that made this year tough was that it was three years versus four. I think in some ways that was a good thing, but in a lot of ways it was kind of difficult,” She said.

A balancing act in and out of the pool

Three years meant less time for recuperation and less time for training. And this time, Schnell was also balancing her athletics with her classes, coursework, and clinical rotations for her Speech Language Pathology graduate program.

“That was difficult and also rewarding in a lot of ways for me,” she said. “It gave me a different outlook on life. Like, it's good to have balance with things other than diving.”

Schnell said she was very fortunate to have program staff that were willing to work with her and accommodate her athletic pursuits.

“They fully understood, and knew my aspirations in both speech and diving. Honestly, without them working with me, it would have been probably impossible to go through that program.”

“She's had to adapt in some different ways to accommodate her athletics and to work around her training schedule,” said Dr. Kate Bunton, Professor and Director of Graduate Studies in Speech, Language & Hearing Sciences, and Schnell’s academic advisor. “But it's not the case that she prioritizes either athletics or academics over the other. She does both of them at the same time.”

Bunton said that she sees Schnell’s athletic training and learned discipline in her schoolwork.

“All of that work with a coach really is reflected in how she approaches her classes,” Bunton said. “She's gonna take it in and integrate it and think about it and work with it, and then she's gonna give you some pretty incredible assignments.” 

Among her peers, Bunton said Schnell is a role model, maintaining her balance of athletics and academics with a “wonderful sense of calm.”

“She's somebody that everybody admires,” Bunton said. “I think people really look up to her.”

Schnell is set to finish with her clinic hours in December, after which she has plans to move to Colorado with her fiancé, and start her career as a speech language pathologist.

As for swimming, Schnell said that for now, she is giving herself time to relax, and decide what is next for her.

“I'm still debating on if I want to continue diving for another cycle,” Schnell said. 

However, with the 2028 Olympics being held in Los Angeles, Schnell said it might be “pretty cool to compete in a home crowd.”