From Illinois, USA to Australian Stingers, Danijela’s story has a silver lining

Olympic silver medallist Danijela Jackovich credits her father’s advice at a time when she was being ‘beaten up’ by older girls in water polo matches – and at training – for putting her on track to becoming an achiever in and away from the pool.

Jackovich’s father, Daniel’s appreciation for resilience and mental toughness in sport was forged through his hard-earned experience. Before a knee injury cruelled his American Football career, Daniel Jackovich had stints with NFL teams Philadelphia Eagles and San Diego Chargers after starring for Utah State University.

“Dad said: ‘if you’re the best, we ‘gotta’ go somewhere else’,” said Jackovich, a New South Wales Institute of Sport (NSWIS) scholarship athlete who was born and raised in Illinois. “His message to me was we need to continually strive and then, hopefully, the day will come when you’ll be the best.”

His words of wisdom galvanised Jackovich, who, at the time, was a 14-year-old playing against older players in contests which imitated the Hunger Games; an aquatic tooth ‘n nail battle for survival as she withstood the physicality and competitiveness of the older players.

“I followed my older brother into water polo,” said Jackovich with a grin. “I actually tried to follow his path a lot. I just wanted to do the sports he did, even if it was American football or wrestling. I was like: ‘Hey dad, I want to play American football; I want to wrestle’ and he was like, ‘no, no, no, that’s maybe not such a good idea.’

“But I played water polo. When I was 14, I went into the 16-years and under division, so I was in [the US school system] eighth grade and playing against high schoolers! You develop a lot as a player – as a girl in general – at that age. And I was getting beat up by 16-year-olds, but that was also kind of why I loved it. I think that’s why, in the end, I chose the centre forward position . . .  to be in and among it.”

And on those occasions when Jackovich finished a match for the Lincoln-Way Central Knights battered, scratched and bruised, she took solace in her father’s words.

“From Dad I formed the saying: ‘if I’m the best in the pool, I’m in the wrong pool’,” said Jackovich, who’ll represent Australia at the 2025 World Aquatics World Cup Super Finals starting in China this week.  

“It basically means you need to keep learning. If you’re in high school everyone can say: ‘oh, you’re an amazing player,’ but I knew I needed to test myself. And that search meant I ended up playing in boys’ teams when I was younger. Then I played in much older age groups, because I think you can learn so much from people who are skilled, at a high level and have a higher IQ of the game.

“That approach taught me a lot, and I learnt from the girls who were older than me. Yeah, I wanted to learn and, I think, they actually wanted to help me. I had a good relationship with all the girls on the team.”

Jackovich’s iron-willed commitment to whatever she sets her mind to was reflected in her approach to school. It’s noted on the prestigious Stanford University’s website – the university from where she graduated with a Bachelor of Biomechanics – that she was academically ranked No.1 in her high school class and that she attended ‘state’ with her school’s Mathletes; was a member of the Science Club and also the National Honor Society.

Another revelation about Jackovich’s deep-rooted appreciation for commitment was aired on social media last year after she was presented with her Olympic medal. Her childhood church published a post praising Jackovich for being a member of its choir, and how she and her brother achieved a perfect attendance at Sunday School despite having to travel an hour each way to attend!

That same commitment is obvious whenever the American-born Stinger dons her green and gold battle colours. She speaks passionately about the country she adopted, and of the country which has, in turn, embraced her. Jackovich’s affection for her teammates is also crystal clear when she articulates the emotions still swimming about in her mind many months after the magic of the Paris Olympics.

“Paris was special because you could rely on the person next to you,” she said. “One day there wasn’t my best, but the next day I was in there and fighting for the person next to me because I knew they were fighting for me.

“It was a special time. I remember the emotion I felt the day I was selected . . . getting to tell my parents I’d finally achieved the dream that was made possible through their support, the brutal training, the . . . the . . . everything. And we [Stingers] put so much work into coming together as a team, and that was reflected by how we played. We really were all there for each other.

“But it was exhausting. Brutal. I remember getting to training and being like: ‘Oh my God. I’m so tired.’ But looking back, it was life changing, the coolest experience. Getting the silver medal was ‘in the moment.’ I mean, I didn’t really realise what [was at stake] because it was like, ‘it’s just a game’. But standing on the podium . . . looking out and seeing 17,000 spectators . . . we broke a record for the most spectators that had been at a single water polo venue was amazing and impacting you all at the same time.

“It was such a huge step for the sport, for me, my career, my life, my dream, my family.  It was just a lot of emotion to take in at once. But I’m so proud. Proud to say I did it with that particular group because we had a resolve and through all of the hard work we put in together we achieved something special. I was so lucky to be over there.”

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However, for Jackovich to experience that tsunami of emotion, she left the United States, the nation for which she’d won a gold medal at the World University Games and where she was immersed in their Olympic development program. When asked what drew her to the Land Down Under, Jackovich’s simple and honest answer is . . . water polo.

“There isn’t a professional league in the United States,” said Jackovich, who warns the story of her journey to Aussie citizenship is a long one.

“After you finish university in the US your only option to continue playing is to go overseas, otherwise you can coach and maybe train a bit. But it’s difficult. I think that’s why national team players in the States don’t have longevity in the sport because they get a job at 27 or 28. There isn’t a pro league to allow you to keep playing and working at the same time.”

“So, I thought Australia has a semi-professional league where you can have a fulltime job and still train at night with an Australian Waterpolo League team. My original goal was to treat it as a pathway into retirement from water polo. I thought I’d play, train just two or three times a week, get a job – my degree is biomechanical.”

“But the joke was on me! I showed up, really enjoyed the league and I loved it here. I attracted the attention of coaches and they said: “if you start living here now – it’s long enough for you to qualify for Paris! Now, like most young girls and boys, I dreamt of playing at the Olympics, and that’s how the conversation [about Australia] started.”

Top photo: From left-to-right: NSWIS athletes Zoe Arancini, Danijela Jackovich, Keesja Gofers, Genevieve Longman display their Olympic silver medals at last year’s Welcome Home Olympic & Paralympic ceremony in Sydney.

Jackovich, who lives within earshot of the waves crashing onto a Sydney beach had no problem pledging her allegiance to Australia.

“I love it here,” she enthused. “I can see my life here. I want to live here. The coolest thing about being an Olympian, I think, is, once you’re done, you give back to the sport. So, I’m going to be here in Australia and giving back.”

“But it is a bit weird when I think about my family. My brother is in the US Air Force, and, obviously, he is very much USA. However, I’m more like I love my family. I love where I grew up, and I’m always going to be a dual citizen. But water polo gave me an opportunity here. I love playing here and I am happy . . . proud . . . to play for Australia.”

When asked to nominate the toughest question she’s needed to ask herself as an athlete, Jackovich doesn’t reflect on the older girls who outmuscled her at school, the relentless grind of training, the injuries, or any bitter disappointments. She instead recalls the emotional minefield of becoming an Australian citizen.

“So, I live in Australia, a new home which I absolutely love,” she said. “It’s brought me so much and I really do, truly love it. But the citizenship scenario was never guaranteed, and you need to go through ‘approval’. It’s really tough. I would receive a call from the lawyer, and it’s like: ‘Oh, I’m a little bit nervous because I don’t think we’re going to have time to do it’.”

“So then, having done all this work and two years being away from my family, it was those moments when I’ve kind of snapped, and thought ‘is it worth it?’ Is it worth it to continue on in sport? Should I be working? You know, you look at your bank account sometimes and you’re like: ‘Hey, do I need to get a fulltime job?’”

“But at the end, I answered it. I love water polo, and I wondered whether in 20 years I’d look back and ask myself ‘why didn’t I do it?’ And [sticking true] has brought so much to my life. So many friends, so many experiences, so much travel . . . a beautiful silver medal.”

And of the question about Jackovich being the best in her pool.

In 2014, when she completed her distinguished high school career, The Chicago Sun-Times posed this question after a correspondent watched Jackovich dominate at a competition: “The most-asked question at the state tournament wasn’t who the best player in the pool was. It was whether Jackovich is the best ever girls water polo player from Illinois.”

Over a decade later Jackovich has moved to a different pool. It’s on the other side of the world. She’s thriving.

Daniel Lane, NSWIS