Apache pilot fueled by competing in triathlon endurance races

SAN DIEGO - Last October, 1st Lt. Waverly Schnetzler jogged along rocky paths of Prehistoric Trackways National Monument, an expanse of the Chihuahuan Desert in New Mexico that sits 4,500 feet above sea level.

There in the backdrop of the Robledo Mountains, Schnetzler entered a backyard ultra; a grueling elimination ultra marathon where competitors run four-mile loops until one competitor remains. Also known as a "last man standing" race, exhausted runners file out one by one and the last remaining competitor gets crowned champion. Competitors run backyard ultras often more than 100 miles.

"She'll approach something that's crazy hard, and it's fun for her," said her triathlon coach, former USA athlete Amy Maxwell. "She's got a really adventurous and curious spirit."

The first lap circled near a thousand foot drop off. Every turn pushed competitors further and further testing the limits of their fitness and endurance.

Schnetzler, a Soldier stationed at Fort Bliss, Texas, used the race to continually build her endurance and stamina for annual Ironman triathlon races.

Schnetzler had always searched for the most challenging route in athletics and her military career. The West Point graduate has become one of the Army's top triathletes with more than 20 Ironman and triathlon races under her belt, including last September's Armed Forces Triathlon Championships in San Diego, California where she finished 5th and the 2025 Ironman Arizona in November (8th place).

Schnetzler has qualified for two Ironman World Championships.

Charting her own path

Schnetzler, grew up in the D.C suburb of Nokesville, Virginia competing as a multi-sport athlete in cross country, swimming and track at Osbourn Park High School.

She applied for West Point because she didn't want an ordinary job, but a career that would test her physically and mentally.

At 18, Schnetzler, became the first member of her family to join the military after earning acceptance into the U.S. Military Academy in 2017.

"I thought West Point would give me an opportunity to be around like-minded people who wanted to be challenged," she said. "And I love structure."

In the middle of her plebe or freshman year at West Point, the environmental science major decided to walk away from two sports she had dedicated years of her life, cross country and track, for a sport that would challenge year-round on a larger scale: the triathlon.

In the triathlon, Schnetzler found more than a sport that gave her a release of energy from the stresses of balancing academics and drills as a West Point cadet.

In the winter of 2019, Schnetzler learned that the West Point Triathlon team coached by Maxwell had been hosting tryouts. Admittedly burned out from cross country, Schnetzler decided to attend.

With experience competing in cross country, track and swimming, Schnetzler boasted the experience needed to become a triathlete. She learned to balance academics, field training and drill with 20 hours a week of triathlon training.

Schnetzler impressed Maxwell with her willing attitude, embracing new variations of training, whether improving her transitions between events or gradually building her strength.

Schnetzler eventually became West Point's top female triathlete, placing a career-best 13th at the 2021 Women's Collegiate Triathlon National Championships. Following her graduation from the U.S. Military Academy in 2022, the Army assigned Schnetzler to fly Apache helicopters and flight school at Fort Rucker, Alabama.

Three years later, Schnetzler pilots Apache helicopters for the Army as a member of the 1st Armored Division, Combat Aviation Brigade at Fort Bliss, Texas.

Last September running along San Diego Bay, Schnetzler competed against the best triathletes in the U.S. Military, including eventual champion, Navy Ensign Hannah Walz.

The Soldier said triathlon workouts helped her cope with the demands of training as an Apache pilot. Apache pilots must log 70 flight hours in six months, while learning the intricacies of the airframe's sophisticated weapons systems, and reconnaissance and attack missions.

"It just has a lot going on with shooting and flying," Schnetzler said. "I think being able to compartmentalize, like after having a long day of flying, and then be able to release any built-up stress through triathlon really helps me reset mentally."

She signed on to continue to receive coaching virtually from Maxwell. Together, they formulated a plan for the Soldier to compete in Ironman races annually.

"I think the triathlon, it's whatever you put into it," Schnetzler said. "I feel like I could just do it for my whole life. I feel like it's kind of like a lifestyle almost."

Between flight school and her duties as an Army officer, she has limited time to train for Ironman events. Schnetzler tries to dedicate a minimum of two hours of workout per day, in the mornings with her unit and later in the day with the Army 10-miler running team. The Soldier uses a bicycle trainer to work out at home and goes on runs with her rescue dog, a one-eyed Plott Hound named "Lefty."

Schnetzler ran her best race in 2023, finishing first in her division at Ironman Florida Triathlon in Panama City Beach. There, she clocked a person-best time of 10:39:14, finishing in the Top 300.

Schnetzler reached a new pinnacle, taking part in the 2024 Ironman World Championships in Nice, France, where she placed a respectable 33rd in her division and 241st overall. She recently began competing as a member of the All-Army Triathlon team.

"She's able to remain positive and focused under really heavy workloads and a lot of competitive pressure," Maxwell said. "But I think part of what allows her to do that is the curiosity that she brings to her workouts, too."

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