Brigid McCabe

Forging the Path

True champions aren’t only first to the finish line. They’re first to make a change and guide the way.

It’s one thing to join a team. It’s another to help found it. Brigid McCabe was one of just five girls who showed up for her school’s first ever cross county/track and field practice. She didn’t know any of the other girls or the coach. What’s more, like the other four students who ventured out that day, she had no previous running experience. But day after day, Brigid and the other girls kept coming back. And they kept getting better as they navigated learning the sport together. The hard work paid off, and Brigid became the league cross country champion, an accomplishment she says was not just a personal victory, but a win for the entire program. “Being part of the original group that set the lasting tone for the team is my proudest legacy.”

The path to greatness, however, has not been without its bumps in the road. After collapsing on the track during the state qualifying race her sophomore year, Brigid was hospitalized for low iron and severe dehydration, forcing her to take a long break from training. While discouraged, she was not defeated. She used the time to reflect, reprioritize, and remember her love for the sport. “It helped me focus on what was really important—being able to do something that brought me peace and joy. I keep this mentality every time I race, and I find that, not only am I happier, I am significantly faster!”

Brigid channels that positive mindset into everything she does. In addition to being a top scholar and record-setting athlete, she says, “I am an older sister, a school leader, and a team captain. I know that when I succeed, I am setting an example for the girls around me.” To help inspire others to get involved in making positive change, she and several classmates established a committee called STAND, an acronym for Solidarity Throughout All of Notre Dame. The group organizes events in support of critical movements and issues such as the Global Climate Strike. Participating in the activism experience has challenged Brigid in new ways, requiring “tremendous patience, persistence, and reflection.” And it has ultimately pushed her to do exactly what she does best: set the standard ever higher not only for herself, but for all of those around her.