One of the main reasons I was attracted to Seven Sisters colleges and Smith College in particular is the deep history and legacies, both in academics and swimming, attached to these schools. Between 1984 and 2014 seven Seven Sisters women successfully swam the English Channel, a swim that traditionally has a 1 in 10 success rate. Ever since middle school, this has been a swim that has interested me and when I heard about Paige Christie‘s crossing the summer before I started at Smith, I couldn’t help but get excited. Following Paige’s little dot as she plowed across the Channel helped me feel as if I was already part of the Smith team. Seeing Paige’s success helped me decide to pursue my own channel dreams; I will be swimming the Catalina Channel in July, 2016 and the English Channel July, 2017. As I prepare for my July 25th Catalina crossing, I find myself relying on the inspiring swimmers who came before me as well as my training buddies to get me through the toughest workouts.
My training partner while at Smith, Eliza Cummings.
Yesterday, I received a surprise package from Paige, along with a cryptic message that it would be something I would “have to have” for my swim. Turns out Paige decided to send me the famed “Seven Sisters Marathon Swimming” blanket made by Ika Kovacikova (Wellesley Class of 2015).
The blanket contains the names of successful Seven Sisters Marathon swimmers.
I am so honored to be considered a part of this community of amazing women. While receiving this blanket so early could add unnecessary pressure to my training, it actually helped me realize that I have so many amazing athletes standing behind me. I am so proud to be working hard to continue the unique legacy of Seven Sisters marathon swimming.
Open Water Abby 
Reblogged this on The 120 Mile Hudson River Grind and commented:
Check out my teammate, fellow open water marathon swimmer, and “lil sis” Abby’s blog!