Finding Faith and Focus: The Zach Dietiker Story

SEATTLE - March 16th.

For Zach Dietiker ’24, March 16th is a date he’ll never forget. It marks the day he made a decision that changed how he sees himself, his faith, and his future.

But his story didn’t start with clarity. Middle school was rough. Dietiker went to public school in Issaquah, struggling to figure out who he was while dealing with challenges at home. Both of his parents were involved in AA, so conversations about faith were part of life, but they weren’t about Christianity. For him, faith was real but confusing - a belief in some higher power without a clear direction.

“I believed in a higher power,” Dietiker said. “But I didn’t find Christianity until O’Dea.”

In those early years, he often felt lost. Questions about identity, purpose, and where he belonged lingered. He knew there was something bigger than himself, but he didn’t know what it meant for him personally.

Then came O’Dea High School. Dietiker wasn’t looking for a dramatic change, just a place to grow academically and personally. What he found surprised him.

Sophomore year, in Mr. Clapp’s theology class, faith stopped feeling abstract and started to make sense. Scripture, church history, and discussions about Jesus gave structure to ideas he had only loosely understood before. Faith became something he could explore and question seriously.

Then came an invitation from a friend to go to church.

March 16th, 2022.

After months of thinking and reflecting, Dietiker accepted Christ into his life.

Not because anyone told him to, and not because it was the popular choice.

“I realized that was the truth,” he said.

O’Dea didn’t just teach him religion. It gave him structure, focus, and mentors who mattered. The all-boys environment removed distractions and let him focus on sports, academics, and relationships. Coaches pushed him, teachers challenged him, and classmates offered lessons he could learn from every day.

“There’s a lot of good people that walk in those halls,” Dietiker said. “And a lot of different people who’ve been through a lot of different stuff.”

For Dietiker, faith started showing up in small but consistent ways: in his training, his studies, and how he handled challenges. It became less about believing in an idea and more about living it every day.

After graduating in 2024, Dietiker started at University of Utah and then transferred to Central Arizona to pursue his love for the decathlon. His path wasn’t the typical one, but it was intentional.

“I’ve had the most unorthodox plan,” he said. “But where I’m at now, I couldn’t be happier because I trusted the process.”

Trust, in growth, timing, and God, has become central to how he lives. Dietiker balances training, school, and free time in ways that let him focus on what matters most to him.

For current O’Dea students struggling with faith or identity, he offers simple advice: take it one step at a time.

“If you feel like you’re alone in the battle,” he said, “good. You need to go through certain phases to where you need God.”

Dietiker emphasizes patience. Social media likes and popularity don’t define you. Success doesn’t happen overnight. Faith, like athletic progress, comes from small, steady efforts.

“You just need to trust the process,” he said. “Good things take time, and you can’t rush anything good.”

Looking back, Dietiker sees how far he has come, from a confused middle schooler to a young man pursuing his goals with focus and conviction.

March 16th marked the beginning of belief.

O’Dea built the foundation beneath it.

And now, wherever the decathlon or life leads, Dietiker runs not just with ambition, but with purpose. VIDEO: Check out the link here to watch the video interview with Zach Dietiker: https://youtu.be/2IzsiElBixk