Penn State Junior Jane Donahue Medically Retires

Photo Courtesy: Tom Donahue

Penn State’s Jane Donahue is retiring from college swimming due to medical reasons, the junior announced on her Instagram feed this week.

Donahue hasn’t swum for the Nittany Lions this season and said that she’s been battling an injury, the nature of which she did not disclose, for five years.

She wrote:

After 5 years of battling with an injury, I have made the difficult decision to medically retire from the sport that has been my life for the past 15 years. I am so grateful for all the love and support I have received these last 2 1/2 years as a member of the Penn State swim team. I am hopeful to do bigger things outside of the pool and to support my team and coaches from the pool deck. Best advice for those who still get to do what they love- enjoy the ride because you never know when it will be over. Here’s to the start of my next journey … #weare

Donahue is a native of Charlotte, N.C., who won five state championships and was a three-time All-American (and two-time scholastic All-American) at Christ the King Catholic High School. The SwimMAC Carolina swimmer competed at nationals as recently as 2017.

At Penn State, she qualified for the Big Ten Championships in the 100 breaststroke as a freshman. In her sophomore campaign last spring, she scored in both the 100 and 200 breast while also swimming the 200 individual medley at Big Tens. She was named a Big Ten Distinguished Scholar and Academic All-Big Ten as a rehabilitation and human services major.

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