STANFORD, Calif. - Brooke Forde has been named one of nine finalists for the 2022 NCAA Woman of the Year award, as announced on Thursday.
Forde was initially among a pool of 577 school nominees, a group that was then narrowed to 156 nominees at the conference level. After advancing to become a top-30 honoree, Forde is now one of three student-athletes from Division I among the nation's top nine finalists.
In August, Forde was announced as the Pac-12 Woman of the Year for the 2021-22 campaign, becoming Stanford's fourth winner of the award and joining Valarie Allman (track and field; 2018), Chiney Ogwumike (basketball; 2014), and Arianna Lambie (track & field/cross country; 2008) as previous recipients.
Established in 1991, the NCAA Woman of the Year award recognizes female student-athletes who have completed their undergraduate studies and distinguished themselves throughout their collegiate careers in the areas of academic achievement, athletics excellence, community service and leadership.
On Jan. 12, 2023, the top 30 honorees will be celebrated during a luncheon at the NCAA Convention in San Antonio, where the 2022 NCAA Woman of the Year will be named.
A native of Louisville, Kentucky, Forde completed a master's degree in epidemiology with a 4.2 grade-point average after receiving an undergraduate degree in human biology with a 3.96 GPA in 2021.
During her five seasons competing on The Farm, Forde helped the Cardinal to a pair of NCAA championships (2018, 2019) and four Pac-12 titles (2018-20, 2022). Forde claimed five NCAA individual or relay national titles - part of being a 19-time All-American and six-time Pac-12 champion (individual and relays combined).
Prior to her fifth and final season, Forde captured a silver medal in the 800 free relay at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games. Forde has been a mainstay in representing the U.S. in international competition, also competing in the 400 individual medley at the 2019 FINA World Championships.
Forde's academic honors are equally impressive, being named the 2021 CoSIDA At-Large Academic All-America of the Year and a three-time CoSIDA First Team Academic All-America (2020, 2021, 2022). Additionally, Forde was the 2020-21 Pac-12 Women's Swimming and Diving Scholar-Athlete of the Year, a five-time CSCAA Scholar All-American (2018-22), three-time Pac-12 Winter Academic Honor Roll recipient (2020, 2021, 2022) and a 2019 Pac-12 All-Academic First Team All-Academic selection.
Forde's leadership and service activities include serving as co-president of the Stanford Student-Athlete Sustainability Committee and creating the Pac-12 Sustainability Committee, during which she spearheaded a Zero Waste initiative at a Stanford football game with recycling, e-waste and donation drives that were duplicated during basketball season. Forde also assisted in creating a sustainability in athletics course at Stanford that has been recognized by the United Nations.
Forde received Stanford University's 2022 James W. Lyons Award for Service, which highlights outstanding contributions in areas of extraordinary need that result in substantial change.
Forde is currently serving a two-year assignment with the Peace Corps as a public health officer in rural Peru.