Saturday at a quad meet between Division III NESCAC teams Bowdoin College, Colby College, Trinity College, and Wesleyan University, the women’s teams from each school marched and swam to recognize the Women’s Marches that took place around the United States today.
Before the opening National Anthem the women marched on deck together. Captains from each team then stood together to read a statement about the march,
“Thanks to everyone for being here! The Wesleyan, Trinity, Colby, and Bowdoin women’s swim teams want to recognize everyone, across the US, who is marching today against discrimination and hate. Many of us are disappointed to not be able to attend the events, but we are also grateful to be here, as athletes and people with the privilege of attending schools that offer us incredible athletic and educational opportunities. At the end of the meet we will have a final relay of mixed strokes and mixed teams to celebrate our unity as women, our support for one another, and to express our solidarity with others across the country. Here’s to love and gratitude and powerful people everywhere.”
At the end of the meet, the women came together again, this time to swim. Divers and swimmers swam in relays, each with a mix of the four teams and more than four athletes, as family and friends in the stands and male teammates on deck stood and cheered. The relays were neither a race nor a traditional distance. The athletes worked together to swim in synch until each woman had participated.
Colby College senior Cat Padgett initiated the event. She explained how the idea for the relay was created,
“My teammates and I were pretty disappointed about our meet conflicting with the marches around the country today. But the more I thought about being at our meet while so many women and men across the US were marching in solidarity, I realized how overwhelmingly cool it would be to be surrounded by amazing female athletes on such a historic day.”
After working with her sister Sarah, a Wesleyan sophomore, the teams were in contact with each other and put the event in motion.
Afterwards Padgett reflected, “I think we all had so much fun; I’m super grateful to have been there and to have had so much support from our coaches and our families in the stands. I love these people and I’m really proud to be a NESCAC swimmer today.”
So so proud of you Catherine Padgett
Thanks ryan weeks ❤ I miss you very much
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Amazing work by amazing ladies
Great even collegiate swimming is basting in politics too…
It’s really not about politics… It’s about treating all people fairly..
I strongly disagree, this particular matter couldn’t reek more of politics and be totally zero about fairness…
You must be afraid of women !
How would that be? Just calling what it is..
Amazingly inspiring, Cat!
“Sisterhood” at its best?
I got chills watching the power of all these swimmers swimming synchronized in solidarity and unity. Not about politics, but about standing up and standing against actions and words that attempt to subjugate women and minorities. So very proud and impressed by these smart women to create, organize, communicate and implement an event without words that demonstrated the power of Women.
Great job Cat, Sarah and all the women on the Colby, Bowdoin, Trinity and Wesleyan Teams.
The NFL decided that it was fine if its players supported the Black Lies Movement, but that Jerry Jones couldn’t put a patch on the uniforms of the team he owns to honor the Dallas police officers murdered by the Black Lies Movement. Maybe the NFL can handle the financial loss caused by taking sides in a contentious political issue. Maybe it can’t.
The sport of swimming can’t afford to alienate half the country by calling them racists, misogynists and bigots simply because they disagree with you regarding who was the least worse candidate running for President.
Wow. All over the place in your comment… From the NFL to Cowboys to Black Lives Matter to police to alienating half the counrty ? Your comment is so revealing. Confirms why women united. Reality check. These were female college athletes making a statment of standing together for respect. I highly doubt they alienated half the country by swimming in unison. Take a breath. Breathe…..not into the turn but only after you push off from the wall.
Jeff O’Connor