Darin Schmidt began his diving career at the IU Outdoor Pool.
Messing around with his gymnast father, Darian started to get a feel of the sport that would bring him success, but didn’t join a diving team until high school.
“I was really small and my parents weren’t well off financially,” Schmidt said. “I knew I needed a scholarship and I was too small for the other sports. So I gave diving a try.”
During his sophomore year of high school, Schmidt got a call from Mark Lenzi, a two-time Olympic gold medalist, who wanted him to dive for Indiana Dive Club.
Schmidt said he knew if Lenzi asked, he had to say yes. But the transition to diving wasn’t always easy.
“It’s definitely different getting used to the form because it’s so unique,” Schmidt said. “It’s not like you just run fast and you’re good at it like some other sports. I definitely smacked a lot when I first started.”
Diving is an individual sport within a team, which puts a lot of pressure on the individual.
“The training is the easy part,” Schmidt said. “The mental part is the hardest part. Competing is a whole realm of emotions and nerves that are hard to prepare for until you’ve done it. Overcoming that and performing like you do every day in practice is the hardest part.”
Schmidt beat the mental drain of diving and had success diving in high school. It got him his scholarship.
The decision to choose IU was easy since he grew up in Bloomington and both his parents went to IU.
Once he arrived in Bloomington, his diving took off and Schmidt credits his coaches for helping him become a world-class diver.
“My first coach at IU was Jeff Huber,” Schmidt said. “He really instilled in me my character and what it takes to become a champion as well as great diving techniques.”
Huber retired and was replaced by Drew Johansen.
“Drew came in and instantly we clicked,” Schmidt said. “We got along really well and he brought in a whole new set of techniques. Immediately I knew this was the guy I needed to dive for to get to that next level.”
After graduating from IU in 2015, Schmidt competed at the World Championships in Russia.
“That was the best and most rewarding feeling I’ve ever had making that team,” Schmidt said. “I had been very close the past couple years to getting on that world stage.”
However, Schmidt didn’t achieve the level of success he wanted when he failed to advance to the semi-finals. Schmidt said he still learned from being around all the top divers and feeling the pressure of the moment.
With the Olympic Trials ongoing, Schmidt is competing for a spot to showcase what he learned in Russia.
“I’ve been very nervous the past few months just thinking about it,” Schmidt said. “I’m just excited now. This is what I’ve been training for the past 10 years — this opportunity to be a contender and hopefully make the Olympic team.”
Schmidt said making the Olympic team drives him and is what is on his mind during hours and hours of training.
His training is still in Bloomington with IU as he trains under Johansen.
Even though he’s training to get to Rio, it’s not too different from college.
“It’s not necessarily a whole lot different,” Schmidt said. “We do a little bit different stuff and at different times, but for the most part, it’s similar to the way I dived in college.”
Schmidt does about 20 hours of water training every week to work on his diving skills. He also works on strength and conditioning in the weight room. At the dry land facility, he practices his take offs on the trampolines and wood boards.
That training is all to wear the red, white and blue.
“Going to Rio would mean the world,” Schmidt said. “A lot of people ask me ‘If you could do one thing in your life, what would it be?’ and that’s making the Olympic team for me. It would be the greatest achievement I could do.”
