CAMBRIDGE, Mass. - Nicola Hensch '26 has reaped many rewards from the sport of swimming, so he went looking for a way to reciprocate.
The Harvard men's swimming and diving rising senior found the perfect outlet two years ago in reviving Project Swim, which invites children with Down's syndrome, Rett syndrome, and autism spectrum disorder to enjoy Harvard's world-class pool facilities. Hensch now acts as co-president of the volunteer organization, which fell dormant during the pandemic.
"It's not just a great opportunity for the children," Hensch observed of the club's impact. "It's a great opportunity for us and the volunteers."
Hensch's volunteer work consists of coordinating pool time for area families, with Project Swim becoming a steady presence for about 100 children and around 45 volunteers from Cambridge and Boston. In the pool, Project Swim provides the children both access to the pool and the opportunity to enjoy the water.
Booking volunteer instructors also requires considerable effort, with Hensch leaning heavily on the wider Harvard swimming and diving community. "My experience with the swim team has been phenomenal, nothing short of exceptional," said the backstroke and freestyle specialist. "I've been trying to make the most of every second I'm in the water with these guys."
Motivating Hensch's approach are his parents, Takao Hensch '87 and Michela Fagiolini. The neurobiologists — the elder Hensch in the Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology and Fagiolini an associate professor at Harvard Medical School — have advanced understanding of neurodevelopmental conditions including autism and Rett syndrome, and involved their three children from young ages with various nonprofits that raise awareness and research funds.
As a high school senior, Hensch was inspired to complete the Boston Marathon as a charity runner for the Rett Foundation. "I've seen such an incredible impact in not just the money we've raised for research, but also in the smiles that it brings the families," he said of his family's outreach and activism.
Today, all five members of the Hensch family, all based in Greater Boston, are involved in Project Swim. His brother Luca Hensch '22, a former Crimson swimmer, started the program at Newton South High School in 2016, as Carlo Hensch '24 took over when Luca graduated high school. When Nicola started at Harvard, he utilized resources to expand the program to children affected by Down Syndrome and Autism Spectrum disorder. Today, Luca continues to lead the high school branch with volunteers from Newton South and their old swim club with his partner Clair Lin '22.
"To see that direct impact on the family I'm from and the families I'm close with is special," said the dual concentrator in applied mathematics and economics. "They're my neighbors and people that I'm close with, my brothers are close with, and my parents are close with."
But Hensch still hopes to see Project Swim reach beyond Massachusetts.
"Our biggest goal is to expand to even more facilities, creating more access in different locations," he said. "I would love to see this program expand to something that is shared across the entire Ivy League. There are so many communities out there that don't have the access to the resources we have."
