Athlete Spotlight: Chloe Nugent #9

SPORTS: Soccer

Tell us your story. What life experiences have impacted your journey? What motivates you? What is your “why"?

My journey with Jesus Christ has been something that I take pride in. As a soccer player and D1 athlete the pressure to be perfect is undeniable. We wake up everyday needing to be our best even on the days we feel like we can’t. So, when I got to Michigan ready to tackle anything coming in my way I had a major setback, receiving knee surgery costing me my whole freshman season. I was angry, sad, annoyed at why this had to happen to me but I told myself that God has a path. I turned my recovery and my injury into a lesson for myself and for anyone that would listen. I reminded myself that I am not defined by my injury and God does not build mountains you cannot climb. My why is not just my faith but it is also the spirt of my Pop who was my biggest supporter in everything I did. He had not missed a single even sports or school until he reunited with our lord and savior, seeing his life cut short is my daily reminder to make him proud. I know he is sitting up from heaven with God beaming at the person I have become and the person I am going to be.

What role does your faith play in your life and in your sports career?

My faith plays a huge role in my life and in my soccer journey. As a freshman who has decided to enter the transfer portal I know that God has a plan for me and that he will guide me to where I need to be. I pray before every meal, every practice, everything pt session because I know I would not be where I am in life if it wasn’t for my faith with Jesus

Do you have a favorite Bible verse? If so, which one and why?

I have two favorite Bible verses that I look at everyday. The first one is John 16:22 “So with you: Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy.” This was the verse that helped me get through the death of my grandpa and reminded me that he is always going to be with me, even if he is not here physically. My second favorite verse is Romans 8:18 “I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.” This is my daily reminder that my injury is not a setback. My injury has only made me stronger as player, a follower in Jesus, and as a person

What accomplishment are you most proud of personally and athletically (name one of each)?

My biggest accomplishment that I am most proud of is overcoming this injury. I think it takes a certain mindset to push through something that takes away everything you have worked so hard for. There were moments I wanted to give up, there were moments where I thought the pain was too much to handle. But I told myself I owed myself this battle and I would only come out stronger. Being so far away from home and not having my support system with me through this was a struggle but I knew I am so much stronger than this injury ever could be.

What do you feel sets you apart from your competition and what skills do you currently possess that are your biggest assets?

I think the biggest thing that sets me apart from my competition is my heart. I think my grit and my want to be better is something that is hard to find. Everyone wants to be the best and everyone wants to be on top but not everyone wants to put the work in to get there and I think I am one of those few people who want to do the work.

What skills are you most focused on improving?

I think the skills I’m focusing on right now is getting back on the field, getting back to being the player I was but not only that coming back and being a better player and person I could ever have imagined I could be.

Tell us what a typical day or week is like for you:

A typical day for me is getting up at 5:45 heading over to practice to do my running progression. Going to our facilities to do rehab and treatment. Having class anywhere from 2:30-7 or 11:30-2:30 depending on the day and then heading to our academic center to get my weekly 8 hours.

What are your plans for the future and what is your number one objective for the next year / season?

My plan is to come back to the sport I love, find a school that I love and make a mark.

What is the biggest challenge you see in achieving your upcoming goal or where could you use help?

I honestly don’t see a challenge to achieving my goals, in my mind you can do anything if you put your mind and your heart into it.

What words of advice do you have for younger athletes that are up and coming?

The one thing I would say to younger athletes is to not cut corners. If you put in the work and you put your mind to whatever you wanna do you will achieve it. But if you cut corners, or make excuses you won’t be successful. You can only control your controllables.

Who was your favorite player growing up or who's style of play do you most admire?

My all time favorite player growing up was Alex Morgan. She was my biggest inspiration because I loved her work ethic, her talent, and her heart for the game.

What one question would you have for your favorite athlete if they were sitting here now?

If I could ask her one question it would be how do you push yourself through the tough times and what got you through it?