The Leader of the Pack: Patrick Rau
Shirin Pechefsky ‘26
Photo by Luca Mesiti ‘27
One might ask why a swimmer on a successful team of 30 or more people would decide to transfer to a team that had no one. For Patrick Francis Rau ‘25, it was a highly calculated and ultimately extremely rewarding decision. After feeling like just a number on State University New York (SUNY) Maritime, and realizing that his professional interests were distinct from his peers, Rau was in search of something different. In a race against Sarah Lawrence, he was crushed by his predecessors in the 200 free. This was the moment that incited the switch, and that would bring about the culmination of Rau’s excellent 11-year career.
“I wanted to build a team from the ground up with my coach. That’s a story,” says Rau. During his three years at Sarah Lawrence, Rau accomplished being on the Skyline All Sportsmanship Team, made the Skyline academic honor roll twice and was chosen MVP two years in a row in the annual sports awards ceremony. He was also ranked fifth in last season’s Metropolitan Championships in the 200 Yard Fly. All the while, he was an excellent teammate and driven student, working towards building a new narrative for Sarah Lawrence Swimming.
While Rau himself has much to be proud of, he spent most of the interview crediting his teammates, applauding their accomplishments and thanking them for their hospitality. Rau notes, “The women’s team is very welcoming. They treated me like a teammate, more than any other team I have swam on. Ella, Keilani, Genevieve, they went out of the way to make me feel included, and they didn’t have to.”
At Sarah Lawrence, there are often large contingents of athletes given the opportunity to participate in a sport other than their main one. This is especially true of Sarah Lawrence Men’s Swimming, given their lack of numbers. Rau states, “I’m very grateful for the men’s soccer, basketball, and cross country teams. Without them, we wouldn’t be able to do what we can do. We wouldn’t be registered as a team under the NCAA. They all seem very comfortable doing it. They’re all very notable people.” Much of Rau’s career was marked by athletes from other teams sharing the pool with him, which he only expressed gratitude for.
Rau remembers his teammate Jonas Ellwagner ‘28 fondly, recalling the early days of their friendship. “It was funny, we didn’t get along right away. I was too regimented, I wanted to be the big captain, and if I were to do it all over again I really wouldn’t care,” says Rau. “Jonas was really living life for today, and not living life for tomorrow. I really admire it, because I’m just not like that. But, whether it was a good race or a bad race, he would always come give me a hug, and talk about how great it was.” Ellwagner passed away last May, but his memory on Sarah Lawrence Swimming was not forgotten. Throughout the fall 2025 season, Rau and his teammate Moss Mchold-Burke ‘28 adorned Ellwagner’s swim cap, a testament to the spirit and fraternity they forged in the season they spent together.
The humility it takes to harness such a unique moment in time is the mark of a leader. Rau may not have had a ginormous team to be a leader for, but nevertheless, he acted as one. Ultimately, he was right. His time on Sarah Lawrence Swimming wasn’t just the end note to an amazing career, it was a story. One of friendship, loss, resilience and determination. Next, Rau hopes to go to law school and continue working in the aquatics world in some capacity. As he proceeds with his life, the story continues, and Sarah Lawrence Swimming will keep on growing and flourishing.
