In Iceland, swimming is an independent pursuit, a test of individual endurance in a tough environment. First at Fresno State, now at Marist, and even for the Icelandic National Team, Eydis Kolbeinsdottir discovered the advantages of swimming for something bigger than herself—a team.
Kolbeinsdottir started swimming at six years old. Her journey has taken her across the world; the Nordic seas surrounding Iceland, the Pacific in California and now the Atlantic in Poughkeepsie.
Kolbeinsdottir hails from Keflavik, Iceland. Before coming to the United States, her swimming career was illustrious: she was the Female Swimmer of the Year in the Reykjanesbær municipality and the number two-ranked swimmer in Iceland. She swam for the Ithroettabandalag Reykjanesbær club team for eleven years and holds the record for the 1500 freestyle.
One of the biggest moments in her swimming career occurred this past December, as she traveled with the Icelandic National Women’s Swim Team to compete in the annual Nordic Championships in Denmark.
Being selected to compete for the Iceland National Team is a big accomplishment, but it has become routine for Kolbeinsdottir, who has swam for the team since 2014.
What made this year’s trip special was the Women’s Swim Team finishing in the top five at the event for the first time in Iceland’s history, securing a gold medal.
Bringing that success to the United States, transitioning to collegiate swimming has fostered Kolbeinsdottir’s love for the sport. Although admitting that the change was an intense adjustment initially, she welcomes the team atmosphere that provides a different vibe.
“When I got to college, it was way more team-oriented, which I liked,” said Kolbeinsdottir. “You always have your teammates there, and they got your back, and you are all rooting for each other. In Iceland, it’s just you and your event.”
Making the international leap from Iceland to study in the United States can be daunting, but Kolbeinsdottir was determined to do it.
“It’s something I’ve always wanted to do. The older swimmers on my club team had gone to the States, so it’s something I’ve always aspired to do,” said Kolbeinsdottir.
Unlike traditional NCAA recruitment methods, Kolbeinsdottir acted as her agent. She reached out to schools independently until landing a scholarship at Fresno State, where she began her collegiate swimming career in 2019 and remained until graduating in 2023. Kolbeinsdottir earned Academic All-Mountain West Honors every year of her collegiate career.
After graduating, she started focusing on her career until an opportunity came for her to continue swimming.
Anthony Randall, the current head coach of the Marist Swim and Dive team, was an assistant coach at Fresno State during Kolbeinsdottir’s time on the West Coast. He reached out to her during the 2023-24 offseason about bringing her into the fold as a graduate student at Marist.
This was the best of both worlds—Kolbeinsdottir could continue her pre-professional studies and do what she loved.
“A big part of the reason I came back, and why I thought this was such a great opportunity, was I wanted to come back to the US and develop a career here,” said Kolbeinsdottir. “I am currently studying information systems with a business analytics concentration, and that is something I am looking to do past my collegiate career, hopefully in the States.”
In the women’s first winning meet of season on Oct. 11 against Canisius Kolbeinsdottir made big contributions, placing first in the 50-yard freestyle and second in the 100-yard freestyle. To date, she has three first-place 50-yard finishes and one 100-yard in freestyle.
She also recorded a top-four finish in the 200-meter IM at the Patriot Invitational on November 21. Kolbeinsdottir added high finishes in multiple relay races to round out her piece of the puzzle for Marist.
For Kolbeinsdottir, the stark contrast between small Iceland club teams and a state university was an immediate shock but her four years at Fresno State made her adjustment to a second collegiate environment easier.
“In California, it was such a big school, we had about 25,000 students, whereas [at Marist] it’s only about 5000—which I’ve enjoyed,” said Kolbeinsdottir. “You get a more personal experience with the resources and teachers.”
Marist women’s swimming and diving finish their season on January 25 at Binghamton before gearing up for the MAAC championships on February 12-15 in Geneva, OH.
Looking back on her journey from Iceland to collegiate swimming in the United States, Eydis Kolbeinsdottir reflected on the impact the move has had on her life.
“I tell everyone it’s the best decision I’ve ever made because you grow so much throughout the experience,” said Kolbeinsdottir. “I would recommend it to anyone. Even though it’s not easy, it has done so much for me and given me so many opportunities that I would not have had in Iceland.”
Edited by Max Rosen and Marley Pope
Graphic by Quinn DiFiore; Photos from Marist Athletics
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