“It Goes So Much Faster Than You Think” How Kate O’Hearn Soared to a Record-Breaking Finish
By: Ruben Bourdeau | SportzWire | February 16, 2026 | Photo courtesy Ruben Bourdeau
By the time Kate O'Hearn stepped onto the diving board inside Pittston Area High School’s natatorium, she wasn’t thinking about records.
“I did not come to that meet thinking, hey, I’m gonna try to break this record,” she said. “That came completely natural… it was a good day. It was completely coincidental.”
Coincidental?
Maybe in her mind.
But anyone who understands the grind of a multi-sport athlete, one who balances five varsity letters and honor roll academics, knows there’s nothing accidental about sustained excellence.
And nothing about O’Hearn’s journey has been ordinary.
A Purpose Bigger Than One Sport
At Old Forge High School, O’Hearn isn’t just an athlete. She’s a cornerstone.
Soccer. Softball. Golf. Cheer. Swim and dive.
Five sports. Five varsity letters.
And yes, honor roll.
“I’ve never really been the type that could sit in my room,” O’Hearn said. “Every season I need to stay busy, I need to be productive. It makes me feel like I have kind of a purpose. If I’m part of a team… you make so many friends. I just feel like I love being an athlete altogether.”
That word, PURPOSE, defines her.
In small school athletics, numbers matter.
At Old Forge, multi-sport athletes aren’t just appreciated, they’re necessary and O’Hearn embraced that responsibility.
“Old Forge is a great school with athletics because there’s a lot of athletes and a lot of people that are driven to do all those sports,” she said. “It’s not just me that does multiple sports… we all just stay busy.”
Busy, yes.
But never distracted.
Taking the Leap
Her diving career almost feels like destiny, though she’d never say that.
As a child, O’Hearn swam for the Scranton Sea Knights and trained as a gymnast at United Sports Academy. The flips came naturally.
The fearlessness? Built over years of tumbling.
“It’s better to land in water than on land if I fail,” she joked. “Well… it hurts more than it looks.”
Still, when the opportunity came to join Pittston Area’s swim and dive program through a co-op partnership, she took a leap of faith, literally and figuratively.
Her sister had paved the way before graduating in 2020. Teammates like Megan McCaulay and encouragement from coach Jackie helped sharpen her confidence.
“They hyped me up… it doesn’t matter if I fail as long as I keep trying,” O’Hearn said. “Usually it led to some success.”
Usually?
Try rewriting the record books.
Breaking Barriers…Twice
As a sophomore, she glanced at the Pittston diving record and didn’t see possibility.
She saw distance.
“When I saw that record and I was a sophomore… I didn’t even think of it as a possibility.”
Fast forward to this winter and not only did she break the Pittston Area High School diving record once, she did it twice.
What changed?
Growth. Difficulty. Confidence.
“When I first broke it, I thought, wow… that unlocked a lot of potential because I’d never scored that high,” she said. “When you get a good score on your first dive, it really motivates you… by my fourth or fifth dive I was like, okay, I need to lock in. I could break this again.”
That “lock in” mentality is where talent meets discipline.
Luck doesn’t steadily increase meet after meet.
Work does.
Mastering the Mental Game
For all her physical skill, O’Hearn will tell you the biggest battle happens between dives.
“If I don’t do too well on a dive, I kind of get in my head,” she admitted. “So I’ve been really trying to focus on what’s right in front of me…stop dwelling on the past and my mistakes.”
That mindset becomes critical at districts, where the margins are razor thin and the competition fierce.
“You really have to go into districts with the mindset of just focus on the next dive in front of me.”
It’s a lesson bigger than diving.
It’s a philosophy for life.
Surrounded by Strength
Behind every leap is a landing spot and for O’Hearn, that’s her support system.
“You’ll see my parents, my grandparents, my siblings… my wonderful coach Jackie at every single meet. They don’t miss it,” she said. “Their presence really soothes me.”
Even in an individual sport like diving, she finds community.
“A big part of diving is supporting the people that are also diving. Celebrate them instead of just focusing on yourself. That alone really gets you out of your head.”
The Next Chapter
With graduation approaching, O’Hearn faced another difficult choice: which sport would follow her to the next level?
Softball won.
After receiving an offer from Bloomsburg University, she committed to continue her career as a center fielder while pursuing nursing, blending athletic excellence with academic ambition.
“Softball’s always been my number one,” she said. “And they have a wonderful nursing program.”
Five sport athlete. Record breaking diver. Honor roll student. Future collegiate softball player. Aspiring nurse.
And through it all, she carries one simple reminder, the same advice she’d give her younger self:
“It goes so much faster than you think. You just really have to not look too far in the future and focus on enjoying what you’re doing in the moment… you’re gonna regret it if you spend all that time worrying.”
For Kate O’Hearn, the moment has always been enough.
And in those moments, on fields, courts, fairways, sidelines, and atop a diving board she didn’t just participate.
She soared.
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