What we are, and always will be
With uncertainty still lingering, Crow Thorsen reflects on his evolving understanding of what it means to be an athlete.
Back in March, we were honored to share Crow Thorsen’s story. A central figure in Division III swimming, his absence after a heart attack was immediately felt. And many have asked us how he’s doing and what comes next.
Once again, we wait
Crow has been living with uncertainty since his heart attack in late December, and the biggest questions won’t be answered until mid-June. But first, here’s what we do know.
Crow recently finished cardiac physical therapy—where, as he joked in April, “I am the only one in my class who does not have grandkids.”
The NCAA granted him a medical redshirt, preserving his eligibility. He’s applied to Emory’s Master’s in Management program and plans to stay in Atlanta—close to his doctors and the school he loves. Also, he deferred his Teach For America acceptance for a year, keeping that path open.
Cleared to swim on a limited basis, he’s already been back in the water and is also running, keeping his heart rate below 170 beats per minute. While not yet cleared to compete, Crow is thinking seriously about returning. “I know I want to, but I also want to make the right decision for my lifelong health.”
‘The hope is that the decision to swim will ultimately be mine.’
In mid-June, he will receive an MRI to check for any scarring of his heart, followed by a stress test a few days later. The results of these tests may—or may not—result in full medical clearance to return to competition.
‘The hope is that the decision to swim will ultimately be mine.’
Describe yourself in three words
In late April, Crow delivered the senior reflection at Emory’s year-end athletics banquet, speaking to Emory athletes from across all sports. With Crow’s permission, we have included the full text of the speech below.
He also won The Ralph and Russell Bridges Award, “recognizing the most outstanding all-around career of a student-athlete.”1 Typically, he failed to mention this award to us in any of the updates he sent.
Crow’s speech may have been addressed to Emory athletes, but there are several messages in here that speak—we think—to young athletes in general.
The message we found most interesting? Though he does not make this connection explicitly, Crow’s speech flips on its head the defensive (almost paranoid) cliché about athletic accomplishment—“they can’t take it away from you”.2
What Crow suggests is that they aren’t the problem. It’s you. Giving up your identity as an athlete is a choice. Some start to undercut their own identity as athletes even before they stop competing, narrowing it to only their sport or themselves, or tying it to their own arbitrary expectations (“If I’m not competing right now—or not competing well—I’m no athlete at all”).
Crow, having lived through this struggle, argues for the opposite approach: Show up for other teams; appreciate the support you’ve received, and embrace your role in the larger community that makes competition possible; and recognize that what makes you an athlete is your dedication, perseverance and love of the sport, not the latest results of competition.
There’s much more in these words, and we are grateful to Crow for permitting us to share them with you.
Crow Thorsen: Senior Reflection - April 28, 2025
In August 2021, the seniors in this room arrived on campus. On my first day in Atlanta, I joined my general orientation group, and we played a quick icebreaker: describe yourself in three words. I led with, “Swimmer.”
Not because I was trying to differentiate myself from the non-athletes in my group—but because it felt like the most straightforward and honest way to describe myself.
Most of my group probably thought, "Cool, Crow can swim back and forth for a while." But the two others who introduced themselves as “Runner” and “Volleyball player”? They got it.
They knew what that word really meant: early mornings, a constant state of soreness, immense sacrifice, and a deep pride in our commitment to our sport.
We all arrived at Emory eager and excited to contribute to our teams, our teammates, and something bigger than ourselves.
We committed to Emory. We committed to each other, our coaches, and the incredible supportive staff who have made our athletic journeys possible.
Thank you for giving us the opportunity to compete for Emory.
While everyone's path is different, and we are at different stages of our journey, we are doing this together.
I encourage you to attend as many athletic events as you can. Pack the gym, the concrete bleachers of the WoodPEC, the bleachers of the tennis courts and baseball and softball fields .
Make friends across the Emory athletic community. Connect through your shared athletic experience.
Fast forward to this past semester. I am sitting in class, less than a month removed from a shocking heart attack that effectively ended my swimming career.
On the first day, the professor looks up and asks, “Any athletes in the room?”
I froze.
I wasn’t training. I wasn’t competing.
I didn’t know if I’d ever swim again.
I didn’t know whether to raise my hand.
Because that identity—swimmer, athlete—was core to how I saw myself. It was how I introduced myself in my orientation group four years ago and so many other times.
Over the past few months, I’ve wondered: What does it mean to be an athlete when I’m not competing anymore?
Why am I still proud to introduce myself as an Emory athlete?
And my why is the love and community I found swimming here at Emory. It’s the people who have lifted us up during our highest highs and stood by us during our lowest lows.
The teammates who became family because we were all chasing the same goal—together.
It’s the early morning walks into the WoodPEC when the sun isn’t up yet—but our team is.
It’s the pregame huddles, the raucous team cheers and chants, the screaming from the stands, or cheering from the live stream. It’s the post-practice shared meals in the DCT and the teammates who somehow always manage to crack jokes during the hardest practices. It’s the sunrises and sunsets seen from the fourth floor of the WoodPEC weight room.
It’s every court, field, track, pool, and golf course—where we sweat, improve, and grow together, building our game and character. Where we’ve developed discipline, resilience, confidence, perseverance, and accountability.
It’s standing beside people who care as much as you do. The people who make it all matter.
The people who show up for each other over and over again. For each other. For our teammates. For our coaches.
For Drew, Sonya, Tristan, Kalyn. For our athletic trainers. For our families. For everyone who supported us, believed in us, and sacrificed for us so we could wear Emory Blue and Gold.
We are a community of committed people who understand grit, dedication, and a joyful love of sport.
And together, that’s led to so many successes.
It’s seen in our championships, records, UAA titles, and All-Americans. That’s how we’ve made history.
We’ve helped foster and create countless successes on and off the field.
And when the time comes for each of us to have our final at-bat, our last race, match, meet or game—we’ll carry the impact of these four years with us for the rest of our lives.
Stay connected to your teams. Follow along, support, and cheer for Emory Athletics always.
Wherever we go next—whatever challenges we take on—we’re bringing all of this, all of Emory Athletics, with us: The mindset. The habits. The relationships.
So next time, at the next icebreaker, when you have the opportunity: Raise your hand. Raise it with pride.
Because we are—and always will be—Emory athletes.
Thank you.
“Emory Athletics Announce 2024-25 Award Winners”
The Ralph and Russell Bridges Award recognizes the most outstanding all-around career of a student-athlete on both a women's and men's team.
Women's Nominees: Chayse Corfman (Soccer), Ellen Dong (Golf), Penelope Helm (Swimming & Diving), Deborah Hong (Volleyball), Audrey Johnson (Track & Field), Eliza McPherron (Tennis)
Winner: Ellen Dong
Men's Nominees: Jake Atallah (Soccer), Jack Halloran (Baseball), Jackson Price (Track & Field), Crow Thorsen (Swimming & Diving)
Winner: Crow Thorsen
Don Bowden—first American under 4 minutes in the mile: “But they can’t take it away from you when you’re the first.”
Jonathan Vilma—former New Orleans Saints LB: “I have a lot of memories. You can’t take that away from me.”
Rashaan Salaam—1994 Heisman Trophy winner: “They can’t take that away from me, no matter what else happened.”
Erlana Larkins—North Carolina basketball: “When you have that ring… they can’t take it away from you.”
We could just go on and on…
I love my big brother! Thank you for writing about Crow!
One of the best people