Phoebe Bacon x’26 knows how intense the feelings in sports can be. The Badger swimmer has competed in the Olympics twice, pitting herself against the world’s best in a frenzy of races in front of a global audience.
“You’re feeling a lot of emotion after every one of those swims,” she says. “You have to process it and be prepared for what’s to come.”
In Paris this summer, Bacon finished fourth in the backstroke, just two seconds behind the gold medalist. At the UW’s 2024 Homecoming pep rally, she will help build up emotion for the Badger crowd.
The Homecoming pep rally follows the parade on Friday, Oct. 25, and it runs from 8:15 to 8:45 p.m. on the Memorial Union Terrace. Bacon will join with Bucky, Chancellor Jennifer L. Mnookin, the Spirit Squad, and the marching band to get fans in the mood for the following day’s football game between the UW and Penn State.
Bacon came to the UW after growing up in the Washington, DC, area. She was the 2021 Big Ten Freshman of the Year in swimming, and she also won the NCAA title in the 200-yard backstroke. That summer, she competed in her first Olympic Games in Tokyo, finishing fifth in the 200-meter backstroke. Her Badger career has been one highlight after another, including All–Big Ten and all-American honors, Academic All–Big Ten, another national championship in 2024, and then a return to the Olympics.
While swimming is often an individual effort, Bacon notes that being a Badger is special. “One thing that Wisconsin does really strongly is we still see the team aspect,” she says. “We are a special team. I’m a fifth-year. I’m six years older than some of these people on campus today, but I am happy to go hang out with them. And that came from my teammates before me, watching the juniors and the seniors above me do that same kind of thing. It’s a culture. We want the people that come into Wisconsin to understand that.”
UW Homecoming takes place the week of October 20 to 26. Bacon’s final season with the Badgers began October 11 and will conclude with the NCAA championship in March 2025.
