Claire Pellegrin will continue swimming at Centre College

By Lily Smith

On Friday, Jan. 25, Claire Pellegrin (12) officially signed to continue her swimming career at Centre College next year. ​

Pictures courtesy of St. Mary's Athletics.

Claire began to pursue competitive swimming at the age of seven with Memphis Tigers Swimming, and she has been competing as a part of their team ever since. While Claire has faced challenges during her swimming career, her desire to swim as a collegiate athlete has helped her persevere through difficult times. In regards to this desire, Claire said, “It has always been my dream to be a collegiate athlete, and I always thought of this dream whenever practice was hard or I wasn't going my best times or when I just wasn't having much fun in the sport. My swimming career has had its ups and downs, but my dream fueled my determination.”​

While Claire is nervous to leave home and face the many changes that come with going to college, Claire is excited to see what the future holds. “What excites me most about being a college athlete is competing for the team. Club swimming is very individual, but college swimming is much more of a team oriented sport. I'm excited for this change because I think it will add more fun and motivation to my training.”

While St. Mary’s has enjoyed cheering for Claire as both a Memphis Tiger and a Turkey swimmer, the SMS community is excited to cheer for her as she continues swimming as a Centre College Colonel.