Kim Unsworth Franklin ’96

               2012 Sports Hall of Fame: Women’s Swimming

Kimberly Unsworth Franklin ’96’s competitive swimming career began long before she entered the Kline Center at Dickinson. She attended her first summer-league swim-team practice at age 8 and recalls, “that one practice set the stage for thousands more to come.”

As she began looking at Division III colleges, her visit to Dickinson sealed the deal.

“I fell in love with the beautiful, historic campus, the aquatics center was nice, and then-swim coach Joe McEvoy made me feel right at home. It was decided. I skipped my tour of Gettysburg College the next day and went home and filled out my Early Decision application to Dickinson!”

The anthropology and religion major was a standout in the pool and on campus. She continues to be the record holder at Dickinson in the 50 freestyle (24.32), the 100 backstroke (58.85) and the 200 backstroke (2:09.36).

“I always aimed to break Dickinson records, but the conference records weren’t really on my radar. It just happened,” Franklin admits. “And although 100 backstroke was my strength and my favorite event, I have to say that I’m most proud of the 50 freestyle record. It’s the fastest, most competitive event, in my opinion.”

“Kim was an exceptionally talented athlete,” says Head Swimming Coach Paul Richards, who coached Franklin her last two years at Dickinson. “She had a great feel for the water, but she never let her personal talent get in the way of her support and commitment to the team. She was a very unselfish team leader.”

Franklin was team MVP in 1993 and 1994,an NCAA qualifier in 1994, a two-time All-Centennial Conference (CC) swimmer in 1995 and a part of a record-breaking 200 freestyle relay team and a record-breaking 200 medley relay team.

Franklin’s senior year was a banner one. As co-captain, she was an NCAA qualifier for the 200 backstroke, 100 backstroke and 50 freestyle. She was named first-team All-CC in the 200 and 100 backstroke and was honorable mention All-CC in the 200 free relay, 400 free relay and 50 freestyle.

“My most vivid and fond memory of senior year isn’t of nationals; it isn’t even of my final conference race,” Franklin says. “It’s of the moment at championships when they recognized seniors, and my cherished teammates and I stood on the edge of the pool together. I remember thinking what an amazing road we had traveled together.”

Out of the pool, her academic work at the college included study-abroad experiences in the South India Term Abroad (SITA) program in Madurai in 1994 and at the Ethnographic Field School in Cameroon in 1995. She served as a Resident Advisor and was a member of the Anthropology Club. Today she remains connected to the college through the Dickinson Works Program and the Dickinson Admissions Volunteers Society.

After Dickinson, Franklin earned an M.A. in international education from the SIT Graduate Institute in 2008 and spent years in the field of study abroad. She lives in Towson, Md., with husband Thomas and her two sons. “This year I found that life goes full circle as I coached one of my boys in his first year on the local summer swim team,” she notes.

Published October 1, 2012