Morgan Frazier: Building toward future in media
Wednesday, February 11, 2015 | Gymnastics
By Eden Otero, UF Communications
The last two years of Morgan Frazier's college gymnastics career haven't been easy.
With a season ending injury from tearing the deltoid in her foot in 2014 and a surgery that's sidelined her at the start of the 2015 season, Frazier has found time to focus on the beginning of her career in broadcast journalism.
After shadowing Southeastern Conference Network anchor Laura Rutledge on one of the most hectic and crazy days in sports – national signing day for the Florida football team – Frazier's look into broadcasting gave her a small taste of the excitement that comes with the job.
“I've always known that I wanted to be on TV, I used to tell my mom I want to be an actress,” Frazier said. “I have a passion for talking and being a ham so TV was definitely something I was interested in.”
Through UF's top-notch telecommunications program Frazier has worked on radio broadcasts in recent semesters covering sports, something she has struggled to feel comfortable with because she felt awkward speaking into a microphone without an audience.
Even while Frazier's shadowing broadcast staff's at basketball games and helping Rutledge with national signing day, she's added a minor in political science to her already busy schedule so she can one day transition from sports to her true passion: political commentating.
“I'd love to be a political commentator like Megyn Kelly, Sean Hannity down the line, but right now, Florida has so many opportunities to get into sports, so why not go into sports, make a name for myself and then crossover to politics?”
While Frazier is enjoying her experience's shadowing, she isn't just focused on her future career in journalism. Even after her injuries the junior gymnast is still in the gym every day working out on beam – an event she hopes to exhibition sometime during the season.
But even if the 5-foot-2 gymnast doesn't make it back on the mat by the end of the season, her role with Florida gymnastics is still that of the supportive teammate.
“It was tough not competing last season,” Frazier said. “For me, my (goal) is just to be the best teammate I can be, whether that is cheering as loud as I can, moving mats, just trying to make people smile every day, like lighten the mood.”
