Cal standout and rising Team USA breaststroker Abby Herscu joins Social Kick fresh off a breakout season that earned her a spot at the 2025 World University Games in Berlin. We dive into Abby’s journey from an age grouper to the NCAA Championship final and her huge personal best in the 200 breaststroke at U.S. Trials—dropping nearly 3.5 seconds to post one of the fastest U.S. times of the year.

Abby shares what it’s like training at Cal, how that’s evolved with different coaches, and how creativity and trying new things led to her discovery of strengths that she has used to find continuous improvement. We also talk Olympic Trials takeaways, what drives her progression such as swimming free with no pressure, and what excites her most about competing for Team USA this summer.