From the Ice Cream Shop to the River

From the Ice Cream Shop to the River

March 12, 2012

Unlike many of her teammates, Maggie Fragel came to the University of Miami to row. In fact, some might say she was born to be a student-athlete. Her brother Reid plays football for Ohio State University. Her father played football for Michigan State University. Here is her story.    

I started rowing in seventh grade. I’ve always had an interest in water sports. My mom saw a rowing flyer at our local ice cream shop, and my best friend was doing it at a boat club in downtown Detroit. I gave it a shot, and I loved it. I’ve been doing it ever since.

My favorite rowing memory is the morning rows I had at the boat club. A lot of people don’t get to experience something like that, being up at the crack of dawn and watching the sunrise over the Detroit River and Windsor, Canada. It’s really cool.

Most people don’t know that I have a huge interest in photography. I’ve won some awards for my self-portraits and my portfolio in high school. If I’m not sleeping, eating or rowing, I’m definitely taking pictures.

Living in Miami is bliss. I feel like it’s not reality sometimes, because it’s so perfect here. When I go back home for Christmas, and there are gray clouds everywhere, I love coming back to the sunshine.

I have a special place in my heart for Detroit. I love my city, and I’m looking forward to it re-growing and re-stabilizing.

Coach Carter is honest. He sticks to his word. He’s very smart, and he knows a lot of things I would never think about when it comes to rowing because he graduated from medical school. He explains to us all the physiology of rowing, and in the end he’s always right. He also leaves room for fun at the end of the day, which is good. It’s important to have a balance between hard work and fun.

If I were a cartoon character I would be Goofy. I’m pretty clumsy. Coach Carter knows this; I fell off my bike at least three times this semester.

My pet peeve is when people smack their gum. I have to cover my ears, and I look like such a brat, but I can’t handle it.

After a tough workout I relax by taking the longest showers ever, probably about an hour, which annoys my roommate…and my suitemate.

To me, the U is growing rapidly. I can’t believe that our school is already in the top 40 academically, and we’ve only been around for less than 100 years. We’ve built so much in so little time, and I think that’s awesome.

My guilty pleasure is milkshakes. I have one almost every day. [At baseball games] we always go straight to the milkshake stand. It’s a great way to get people to go to the games.

My team is optimistic. We’re always willing to succeed. There hasn’t been a practice where we just don’t feel like doing it. I’d say we’re fighters.