MacPherson commits to Delaware
Maggie MacPherson did her homework when it came to choosing a school where she could pursue her post secondary rowing goals.
She started talking to coaches in April of her Grade 11 year and quickly found a desired home.
“I talked to a lot of schools and had phone calls with a lot of schools and the connection I had right away with the Delaware coach (Asiya Mahmud) was unmatched,” the Grade 12 student at Blessed Trinity said. “It was almost like talking to a friend in the way that it was easy to talk to her.”
The 17-year-old Vineland resident was also excited where the coach could take her in the future.
“She coached the American under-23 national team and one of my big goals is to row for the Canadian national team. Her boat was super successful in the summer, they got second at worlds, and it was her having the same kind of goals as me. She rowed for the national team, she coached for the national team, she already has experience in things I am working towards and that made me really like her. She wants everyone to succeed.”
That became clear in the conversations between the two.
“She asked me what my goals were and she told me she would push me to get those goals and make sure that that happens,” MacPherson said. “I really appreciated that about her and all of the coaching staff is like that. I met them this past weekend and they are all really great people, they’re really motivated and they have great resumes. It made me really want to go there.”
The coaches made her decision easy.
“It was definitely comparing the coaches I talked to at Delaware to the other coaches I had talked to and the successes of the team compared to other teams. They stood out as the school I wanted to go to.”
Delaware was the only official visit she made.
“I had a few others planned but I canceled them all when I committed to Delaware.”
She has set lofty goals for her first season at Delaware.
“For sure it would be making the top boat. And if I don’t make the top boat, which is unlikely, it’s just being successful in the first season, making lots of new friends on my new team, getting comfortable with the school and finding success at the regattas whether I am in the top boat or the freshman eight,” the future sports management and business major said.
The St. Catharines Rowing Club member made her rowing debut in high school.
“I knew about rowing from my uncle (John Kworta, who rowed at English Henley) but I didn’t start rowing until I was in Grade 9. I rowed in the summer in my Grade 9 year and from there it bloomed into rowing every year.”
She has been training with the St. Cathairnes Rowing Club ever since then, including in the winter with Michele Fisher.
Her career highlights are a second-place finish in the eight at Canadian Henley and competing at the Head of the Charles Regatta, where she was in a boat that placed seventh out of 90 competitors.
