Women's History Month 2019: Albina Osipowich '33, Women's Swimming

Women's History Month 2019: Albina Osipowich '33, Women's Swimming

3/7/2019 10:24:00 AM | Women's Swimming & Diving, Diversity & Inclusion

Women's History Month 2019

Throughout the month of March, Brown Athletics will celebrate Women's History Month through a series of profiles. Over the course of the month, the Bears will recognize women who have made an impact on the university community and beyond.

Women's History Month 2019

Albina Osipowich '33, Women's Swimming

At the age of 17, Albina Osipowich '33 won two gold medals in women's swimming at the 1928 Summer Olympics in Amsterdam. A native of Worcester, Mass., Osipowich won gold in the 100-meter freestyle and 4x100-meter freestyle relay, setting world records in both events with times of 1:11.0 and 4:47.6. As a youth swimmer, Osipowich requested to swim against the boys at the Worcester Boys Club and proceeded to out-swim the competition in her events. Upon coming to Brown, Osipowich competed in both swimming and field hockey. She later married Harrison Van Aken '36 – a basketball player for the Bears – and earned induction into the Brown Athletic Hall of Fame in 1984.