Daniela (Dani) Schneider, Duke Class of 2021, currently works in marketing for the Washington Wizards, and was a co-founder of UNCUT Duke. UNCUT is a student-led athlete-driven storytelling platform focused on sharing athletes’ personal and unique narratives. Dani was inspired to found UNCUT largely from her time as a tennis player in high school, and seeing the impact sports could have on mental health. She wanted to give college athletes a safe place where they could tell their stories. Dani personally struggled with mental health issues while a co-founder at UNCUT and found inspiration and strength through the athletes that shared their stories. In this episode, we talk more about the goals and expectations she had for UNCUT, how seeing athletes as more than their stat sheet is changing in media and sports, some of her favorite UNCUT pieces (linked below), and how the perception of mental health in sports is changing thanks to icons like Naomi Osaka and Simone Biles.

For more information on UNCUT you can go to uncutduke.com or contact their team directly - https://www.uncutduke.com/about-us

The UNCUT stories references in the podcast:

Nakeie Montgomery: https://www.uncutduke.com/uncut-athletes/Nakeie-Montgomery

Sheridan Wilbur: https://www.uncutduke.com/post/dear-duke-no-rest-no-renewal

Mike Buckmire: https://www.uncutduke.com/post/dear-cameron-crazies-how-covid-changed-the-course-of-my-senior-year

Schuyler DeBree: https://www.uncutduke.com/post/dear-duke-a-darker-duke-chapter

Kat/Panel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QQ6xrYP-cik

Anna Callahan: https://www.uncutduke.com/uncut-athletes/Anna-Callahan

And a link to Dani’s favorite book, “Am I There Yet? By Mari Andrew:

https://bymariandrew.com/books