The following is a spotlight on Shelby Stanley, Davidson College's 2023 nominee for the prestigious NCAA Woman of the Year award. The Atlantic 10 institutions nominated a total of 17 outstanding student-athletes for the award (READ MORE). The A-10 will spotlight each of the institutional nominees.

Shelby Stanley Profile

Shelby Stanley is a two-time Atlantic 10 Most Outstanding Performer who has medaled in multiple A-10 events in her four-year career. She holds seven individual school records, eight Davidson relay records and two Atlantic 10 records. She was named the 2023 Rebecca Stimson Award winner (Davidson's top female athlete) and the 2023 and 2021 Pat Miller Most Valuable award (Davidson swim & dive MVP honors).

Stanley graduated Magna Cum Laude in 2023, is a four-year Dean's List honoree and a two-time member of the Atlantic 10 All-Academic Team for swimming & diving. She also received honors in Psychology, her major, in 2023.

She volunteered with several organizations, including Strong Girls United, Connor Eating House, Freedom School Partners, Academic Access and Disability Resources, the Health Justice Committee and Planned Parenthood.

Q & A

What was the hardest obstacle you faced as a student-athlete?

• Injury. I hurt my knee during the August before my sophomore year. I couldn't swim any breaststroke for the entire season, taking me out of my favorite event (200 IM). Even after surgery, my knee was not back to 100%. So, I spent the rest of my career learning how to mentally and physically manage the pain and balance hours of rehab amongst my athletic and academic schedules. Once I was used to that injury, my shoulder came next. At this point, the physical pain was incomparable to the mental toll. I had to manage the pain, constantly decide if a certain movement would worsen the injuries, and accept that there were new barriers to how I trained.
  

Who or What has been your biggest inspiration or motivation?

• My big sister. Olivia was a senior on the Davidson swim team during my freshman year. And it turned out that we happened to swim the same events. Now a lot of people would not be very nice about their younger sister winning their events, but Olivia was always my loudest supporter. She has continually inspired me every day to work hard, but still understand the importance of a balance between being an athlete and being an individual. Not a day goes by that I don't admire every single thing about her.
  

What accomplishment are you most proud of?

• Making it through my sport. It is really hard to handle 20 hours of training, early mornings, injury treatment, and coping under pressure. I think we expect recruits to make it through 4 years of collegiate competition and we forget how much of an accomplishment that is. For most people, including myself, it represents the conclusion of decades of hard work. I almost quit after my junior year season. There was a lot going on both in and outside of the sport that was tearing my mental health apart. I told myself that I would take the summer off to reconsider, and I am so proud of myself for sticking with it.
  

What is the most courageous thing you’ve ever done?

• Honestly, going abroad. I'm the youngest child born to two Davidson alumni, with an older sister who also swam for Davidson. My hometown is less than 3 hours from campus and my family was at every meet. I'm an extreme homebody, but I knew deep down that I wanted to study abroad. So, I spent 6 weeks studying psychology in Copenhagen during the summer of 2022. The morning I landed, I called my mom 7 times sobbing, begging her to let me come home after 3 weeks. But now I call it the best 6 weeks of my life. I had to learn how to fully exist on my own, without the safety of loved ones nearby, how to navigate traveling in countries that do not speak your language, and how to be okay with being uncomfortable.
  

What Was your favorite class/professor and why?

• This question is so hard for me because I am a nerd who loved most of my classes at Davidson, but I'd have to say Child Development with Dr. Molly Flaherty. I love children, so it was so fascinating to better understand what is occurring during their early months and how we can best aid the processes.
  

What are the top three things on your bucket list?

• First, I want to tour Santorini, the Amalfi Coast, and Croatia. I have always dreamed of swimming in those waters and staying in houses atop the hills with beautiful views of the water.
  
• Second, I really want to meet a giant panda bear. Up-close. Not just through the big glass walls of zoos.
  
• Third, I want to be on Let's Make a Deal. I have been an avid watcher since I was in second grade. At that time, it was on from 3-4 and I would watch it every day after school. Then when COVID hit, my family found joy in watching the show together every single morning. We'd get competitive about it too, always joking with each other when someone picked the Zonk.
  

What do you think is the most important issue for student-athletes today?

• Mental health - in all of its different components. Fortunately, the conversations surrounding mental health have improved and continue to improve every year, but there is still much to be done: depression, body dysmorphia, suicide, anxiety. Being an athlete is one of the most rewarding experiences, but we need to continue to normalize both the highs and the lows.