By Madeline Folsom on SwimSwam
Six time U.S. National team member Isabelle Stadden has made the move to Charlottesville, Virginia to train with Todd DeSorbo‘s pro group at the University of Virginia.
Stadden appeared in a TikTok posted by UVA pro Gretchen Walsh earlier this week, lifting weights and practicing with Walsh, her sister Alex Walsh, and Kate Douglass. She confirmed to SwimSwam today that she moved to Charlottesville full time in December as she approaches her new career as a professional athlete.
She spent the last five years at the University of California, where she started her collegiate career as a freshman during the pandemic in 2020. At her first NCAA Championships, she qualified for the ‘A’ final in the 100 and 200 backstroke, finishing 5th in the 100 back (50.87) and 3rd in the 200 back (1:49.66).
From there, she continued to be a staple in the backstroke events for Cal. In 2022, she finished 7th in the 100 (50.81) and 4th in the 200 (1:49.45).
After her sophomore season, Stadden explored other options for training following the abuse allegations about head coach Teri McKeever, who ended up leaving the program, but she decided to stay at Cal. In 2023, she won her first individual medal, finishing 3rd in the 200 back (1:49.38) and 6th in the 100 back (51.03) after setting a personal best 50.73 in the prelims.
In 2024, she earned the highest finish of her collegiate career, finishing 2nd in the 100 back (50.47) and 5th in the 200 back (1:49.19). Stadden also took her 5th year at Cal for the 2024-25 season, finishing 10th in the 100 back (50.33) and 8th in the 200 back (1:51.41) at NCAAs before she graduated in May.
Stadden made the United States National Team for the 18-19, 19-20, 20-21, 21-22, 22-23 and 23-24 seasons, but has missed the team the last two seasons.
She told SwimSwam on Saturday that following Nationals, she took a few months off to “enjoy life and take a break from swimming after graduating college.”
She said that she “spent a lot of time thinking about whether I wanted to continue my swimming career or retire,” and that she ultimately decided that she wanted to continue swimming. “I didn’t feel done, hadn’t reached my highest potential, and I wanted to give it another try.”
After making that decision, Stadden decided that she needed a new environment to rejuvenate her career while training with people of a similar age with similar goals.
The UVA pro group boasts three of the best swimmers in the world with World Record holders Gretchen Walsh and Kate Douglass along with World and Olympic medalist Alex Walsh. Alex and Stadden were both members of the class of 2020 with Walsh ranking 2nd in the SwimSwam rankings out of high school and Stadden ranking 5th.
Stadden told us that UVA was her ideal program, and after speaking to Todd DeSorbo, the head coach of Virginia, and after spending a few months training at home in Minnesota, she made the move to Charlottesville in the first week of December.
UVA Senior Associate Head Coach Tyler Fenwick said Isabelle “has been a pleasure to work with thus far. We’re thrilled to have her at Virginia.”
Stadden said that the program has been very welcoming, and that she has “enjoyed regaining some freshman-like energy,” and that “taking a chance on a big change has already benefited both my swimming and my mentality.”
The Pan Pacs roster for 2026 has already been decided, but Stadden has a bronze medal in the 200 backstroke from the 2021 SC World Championships, and with the addition of a SC selection meet in the United States for the 2026 SC Worlds team, Stadden has the opportunity to earn a spot on the Worlds team for December.
Read the full story on SwimSwam: American Backstroker Isabelle Stadden Joins Virginia Pro Group
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