SESP Athletes Shine at the Paris Olympics
School of Education and Social Policy student athletes and alumni returned from the 2024 Paris Olympics and Paralympics with medals, career bests, and unforgettable experiences.
Daphne Chan ’28
Team: Hong Kong
Event: Foil Fencing
Results: Chan reached the round of 16 before she was beaten by Germany’s Anne Sauer, ranked No. 6 in the world. It was the best a Honk Kong fencer—or a Northwestern fencer, for that matter—has ever placed in the event. It was also a career best for Chan, and she is proud of her performance.
"I'm very happy I could reach top 16 and I think I enjoyed the stage so much, the atmosphere was amazing, and I'm very happy that I completed my first Olympics in a really good way," she told RTHK.hk.
About: Chan wasn't a big fan of fencing when she first tried it as a 6-year-old. “When I put on the helmet, it was a little dark and I couldn’t see [clearly], she told Tatler Asia. "I didn’t know what I was supposed to do. I cried. I was scared.” Since then, Chan has risen to become one of the Hong Kong’s strongest female fencers. Prior to the Olympics, she won gold in Thailand at the 2023 Women’s Foil Junior World Cup.
Hailey Danz (BS13)
Team: United States
Event: Triathlon—PTS2
Results: After winning two silver medals in 2016 and 2020, Danz brought home her first gold medal. She emerged from the swim in second place and won by more than a minute, in part thanks to her strength on the bike.
"On the last half mile of the run, when I knew the race was mine to win, I did my best to take it all in," she posted on Instagram. "To honor every challenge that made me the athlete I am today. To appreciate the beauty of the iconic city that surrounded me. To lock eyes with as many loved ones that lined the streets as I could, hoping they could feel how much their presence in this journey has meant to me.
"It’s all still sinking in (I think it will be a long time before it fully does)," she added. "But I am grateful for every second of it, and blown away from the love and support I’ve received from near and far."
About: Diagnosed with bone cancer at age 12, Danz had her leg amputated a few weeks into high school. Always very active, Danz, who grew up just outside Milwaukee, began downhill skiing in her early teens and discovered triathlon as a Northwestern student when she applied for an internship with the Chicago-based Great Lakes Adaptive Sports Association in 2011. In 2015 she was named the USA Triathlon Paratriathlete of the Year. “I now feel a sense of confidence that I never felt before,” she told SESP in 2021. “Some of it comes from the consistency I’ve had in training to become a triathlete. But it’s also from being who I am and not having to hide any part of myself. I didn’t realize how much energy I was expending on that until I didn’t have to do it anymore. And waking up every day to do something I love—yeah, it’s amazing.”
Sebastian Rivera (BS20)
Team: Puerto Rico
Event: Wrestling—Freestyle (65kg)
Results: Rivera rallied to defeat Tulga Tumur Ochir of Mongolia 10-9 to win the bronze medal. “With under 10 seconds left, Rivera blitzed forward with double underhooks and got behind in rear-standing attempting to force Tumur-Ochir's knee to the mat,” Jon Kozak wrote in FloWrestling. “The officials initially didn't award Rivera any points but after a challenge, Tumur-Ochir's knee clearly hit giving Rivera a takedown and the 10-9 decision.” In celebration, he did several cartwheels and backflips before going to hug his family.
About: Known as “Seabass” during his days at Northwestern, Rivera was the flag bearer for Team Puerto Rico during the opening ceremony in Paris. A wrestler since he was young, he credits much of his success to the support of his father Steve, who was a New Jersey state champion in high school. “I’ve been on a mat since I was like four years old,” he told Rutger’s Athletics. “My dad’s definitely been the inspiration for me throughout my wrestling career."
Maddie Zimmer ’24
Team: United States
Event: Field Hockey—Midfield
Results: The US women’s field hockey team placed ninth after beating South Africa 1-0. According to Inside NU, Zimmer “put the first shot on goal in the opener against Argentina, earned a penalty corner against Spain, then continued to earn set piece chances for the United States against both Australia and South Africa. While the national team failed to advance past the group stage, Zimmer distinguished herself as a key cog in the offense who is unafraid of defensive physicality.”
About: Zimmer started playing field hockey when she was seven years old for her local youth team. Her mother is a former collegiate field hockey player. As a midfielder, Zimmer was the player of the match during two of the Team USA’s five games during the Olympic qualifier tournament, held in 2024 in Ranchi, India. Words of advice? “Don’t be afraid to make mistakes, just bounce back from them and work harder to get it right next time,” she has said. Her dream job is running a cat sanctuary on a tropical island.
By Grace Gormley
Photo of Hailey Danz by Alain Jocard/Getty Images.