Across the Water: From Sweden to Miami
by: Darci Miller
SofiaJohansson and My Fridell are making waves for the University of Miami’s swimteam, continuing a friendship born four thousand miles away, on their old clubteam at home in Sweden.
Johansson,a senior, always wanted to come to the United States for college.
“In high school, Igot in touch with Christie [Shefchunas, head swimming coach],” she said. “And Ijust talked to a few schools in the U.S. and I really loved Christie and herprogram, so I decided to come here.”
Thisdecision ended up having an impact on Fridell, now a freshman, when it was timefor her to choose her own collegiate path.
“Ithought, ‘okay, the USA sounds good,'” she said. “And I knew Sofia was here,and she loved Florida and she loved UM, so I was like ‘okay, let’s go there!'”
InSweden, which is more of a winter sport powerhouse, swimming becomes much moredifficult to continue at the college level. There are no college swim teams;swimmers can only continue to compete for club teams, and it’s extremely hardto swim and attend college at the same time. Unsurprisingly very few attempt todo both.
Forboth Johansson and Fridell, who have been swimming since their parents enrolledthem in baby swim classes, quitting the sport has never been an option.
“I’vebeen swimming for twenty years and I’m never going to stop!” Fridell said.
“Idon’t think I could ever stop,” Johansson added. “It’d be weird if we justquit. Some people do, and I think, ‘but you can’t quit swim! You do it every day, what are you going to do now?!'”
Bothgirls embraced their transition to American culture and life at UM with openarms.
“Itwas a little hard in the beginning because of the language, just to understandeverything in class, but you get used to it. It’s getting better every day,”said Fridell, who occasionally wakes up in the morning thinking in Swedish.
Thoughboth miss Swedish food and living close to their families, there’s one thingabout Sweden that neither girl misses: the cold.
“Ilike snow, though!” Fridell said. “But in southern Sweden, where we live,there’s not a real winter. This is so much better.”
Johanssonagrees.
“Ihate the cold weather,” she said. “Ilove Miami.”
Andit shows. Johansson’s name appears throughout the UM record books, including the chool record in the 100-yard breaststroke. At the2012 ACC Championships, she not only won the event but set a new ACC record andbecame the first athlete to swim the distance in under a minute (59.81).
ForFridell, having Johansson on the team before her was a huge benefit.
“It’svery good for me because when I came, Fia knew everything,” she said with a laugh.
Johanssonmentions a close friendship with former UM swimmer Annika Saarnak, who was fromEstonia, before being joined by Fridell.
“Ireally enjoy having My here,” said Johansson. “It feels good having anotherEuropean girl here!”
Thoughthis is Johansson’s final year at Miami, she says that her time here has taughther a lot.
“Icame as a girl but I think I’m going to leave as a woman,” she said. “I’verealized so many things about myself and about what I can do, and just what I’mcapable of doing. And there’s this family feeling, with the team especially.Everybody’s close, everybody can talk about everything, and everyone is sofriendly. So I feel like I’ve learned a lot, and I keep learning new stuffevery day, still!”
Upongraduation, Johansson’s goal is to continue swimming and work as aninvestigator for the FBI. But are the Olympics in her future?
“Thatwould be awesome. That’s always been my big dream. But I don’t know, we’llsee,” she said. “I mean, it’s four years from now, so we’ll see what happens.”
Fridellstill has nearly four full years of collegiate swimming ahead of her. Whenasked about her goals, she shrugs.
“I’mnot a goal girl,” she said with a smile. “But I like to have fun, and when Ihave fun, I swim fast!”
