Maggie Reynolds ’24 from Slingerlands, N.Y. is kicking off her junior season on the women’s swimming and diving team. Reynolds, a history major and Spanish and political science double minor, primarily swims the 200 and 400 meter individual medley (IM). In this installment of seven questions, she discusses how she got into the sport, pre-race rituals and her favorite song to swim to.
Charlie Keohane: How did you start swimming?
Maggie Reynolds: I started swimming competitively when I was eight on my team that I swam on all through elementary school, middle school and high school. I had been doing summer swim lessons prior to that, and I was always really into it and wanted to do more than just the lessons. I had really pushed my parents and begged them to join the team, and I did going into third grade.
CK: What do you like about your events?
MR: My primary events are the 200 and 400 IM, and then I also do a little freestyle and breaststroke. I like those events because I like swimming all the strokes, so it’s fun to train all the strokes. I’m also much more of an endurance swimmer than a sprinter, so I feel like those play to my strengths.
CK: Do you have any pre-race rituals you like to follow?
MR: I like to drink Gatorade right before I warm up. Everyone warms up in the pool before their race. A lot of people like to get out and dry off before they go to the blocks, but I like to swim in the pool until the last second possible and just go up to the blocks right before my heat. It helps me to just walk right over and start swimming.
CK: What drew you to the Middlebury team specifically?
MR: I came on a recruit trip here, and I really liked the inclusive vibe of the team. Everyone really wanted to make conversation with me and not just talk to each other, even when I was just visiting. I also like how people are involved with a lot of things inside and outside the team, and there’s a good balance of not just being an athlete.
CK: What can we expect from the Panthers this swim season?
MR: I think it’s going to be a really good season for us. We have a lot of fast first years coming in and a really strong sophomore class. I think we’re looking to improve on our position in the NESCAC from last year.
CK: What is something people might not know about the sport?
MR: People might not know how many hours we spend practicing for a race that lasts maybe between 1 and 5 minutes. We practice for like three and a half hours a day and so many yards for such a short race.
CK: What is your swimming power anthem?
MR: “Style” by Taylor Swift.
Reynolds and the Panthers are competing in their first meet of the season this Saturday, Nov. 19 at 1 p.m. in the Middlebury Natatorium against Connecticut College.
Editor’s Note: This interview has been lightly edited for clarity and brevity. Maggie Reynolds ’24 is the Senior Local Editor for The Middlebury Campus.
Charlie Keohane ’24 (she/her) is an Editor at Large. She previously served as the SGA Correspondent and a Senior Writer.
She is an environmental writing major and a psychology minor from Northern California. Outside of academics, Charlie is a Senior Admissions Fellow at the Middlebury Admissions Office. She also is involved with the women’s track team and hosts Witching Hour, a radio show on 91.1 WRMC. In Spring 2023, she studied abroad in Copenhagen, Denmark. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, watching Greta Gerwig movies, polar plunging, sending snail mail, and FaceTiming her rescue dog, Poppy.
