University of Georgia Athletics
Quick Chat: Megan Roberts
February 16, 2022 | Gymnastics, The Frierson Files
By John Frierson
Staff Writer
As Georgia senior gymnast Megan Roberts revealed during a Quick Chat a year ago, the Toronto native had never tasted a biscuit before coming to Athens. The United States and Canada share a lot more than just a long border, but there are interesting little everyday differences.
Roberts quickly found a home here and found a family with the Gymdogs and Georgia athletics. Now, as the Dean's List student-athlete heads toward graduation and starts thinking about life after gymnastics, she'd like, after she earns her master's degree, to move to New York and work in public relations.
During a Quick Chat before practice Tuesday, Roberts talked about the most Canadian thing about her, what she wants her future to look like, funny teammates, and much more. Here's some of what she had to say:
Frierson: What is life like these days when you've been in college for several years and you know the daily routine? How much different is it now versus when you first got here from Toronto a few years ago?
Roberts: It's completely different, I would say. I think in the first two years I really needed to learn time management and kind of prioritizing what I need to do to not feel so stressed because it can be very overwhelming with gymnastics and school and social life and everything.
I think it was hard because I got it figured out and then COVID happened and then I had to restart once we came back to campus and classes were in-person. I kind of had to go back to having a really busy life where I was going to class, to practice, to everywhere, and so I think being a senior now I've finally [laughs] figured it out four years later.
It's definitely something, being a student-athlete, that I think will help me going into my career, going into a really fast-paced environment.
Frierson: Do you know what's next for you? Or have a rough outline?
Roberts: I'm majoring in P.R., so I want to into the agency area of it and hopefully work with lifestyle, fashion, beauty clients. And I want to go to New York [laughs]. That's kind of the hub for P.R., but I don't have a specific plan yet. I'm doing a master's next year so I have one more year to figure that out before I go.
Frierson: Will it be weird to just be a student next year, or will you use the extra COVID year of eligibility that you have?
Roberts: I haven't quite decided on that yet [laughs]. It's an option, I think. I'm in an integrated master's program, so I've already started it, and I'll be done in five years with my undergrad and master's.
I think I'm going to try to get as much interning experience and real-world experience that I can get before I graduate, because I haven't really been able to get much of that. I do think there's a lot that I've learned from gymnastics that will help me in that industry. I know how to manage stress and my time and things like that. I'm hoping that I will excel in that field.
Frierson: And any employer, regardless of whether they know much about gymnastics, should be able to appreciate how much you know about hard work and determination.
Roberts: Doing this sport for my entire life, I devoted so many hours every week, and now it's almost like, OK, find something else you're good at. I think it's scary but I think in the last two years I've been able to figure out what interests me and what I can focus on outside of gymnastics, which has helped me in the gym because I'm not caught up in thinking that my whole life is gymnastics. That takes off some pressure, knowing that there are other things that I'm good at and things that I can work toward.
Frierson: I don't know if you can answer this question but here it is: What is the most Canadian thing about you? Is there something that stands out after being surrounded by Americans for much of the past four years?
Roberts: I've been told that I'm very nice and approachable, and I know Canadians are known for being nice. Because I grew up in Toronto, in the city, I don't have much of a Canadian accent. You wouldn't know I was Canadian when I talked to you. Most people don't know that I'm Canadian but once they do they're like, that's why you're so nice. They'll joke around about that.
I do like Canada a lot and I try to keep some things about me that are Canadian [laughs], even though I've lived here for four years. I miss the snow sometimes. It's good to go home for Christmas and have a bunch of snow, but it's only for a week and then I'm back here. I can handle that and it's pretty, but then I come back here and I like it here. ...
A few weeks ago it snowed here and everyone was freaking out. I ended up driving a friend's car because they were like, "We can't go out in the snow!" I was like, "Guys, it's an inch!" [Laughs.]
Frierson: Who is the funniest person on the team?
Roberts: That's kind of hard. I know last year it was Sterlyn Austin, but this year I find Katie Finnegan really funny. She's one of the underclassmen that I'm closest with — she's from New York and she's very straight-up. I like that about her and we get along really well.
My roommate, Emily Schild, is pretty funny. We have a fun time and she's good about getting me out of my head and making me laugh, especially during meets and practice.
Frierson: What are you two like at home? Is it almost like a sitcom?
Roberts: [Laughs] Honestly, we've been really good roommates and there have been no issues. She's very easygoing and so am I, so there's not much conflict. It's very fun and we laugh a lot and joke around.
We're also not even home that much just because we're traveling for meets or we're practicing, studying or seeing other people. It's a good dynamic.
Frierson: What do you do to get away from school and gymnastics?
Roberts: I made it a point my freshman year to make friends on the other teams at Georgia, just to get myself out of the gymnastics life. As much as these girls are my best friends and my family, I see them every day, all day, and it's a lot to just be around people in gymnastics where all you talk about is gymnastics.
When I'm really stressed, I like to go and hang out with my other friends. One of my best friends is on the soccer team and another one is on the tennis team, and I can hear about their stuff and not have any sort of invested involvement.
Even just sitting and watching TV or getting dinner helps me take my mind off everything going on here. I also really really like to watch Netflix, I'm a big binge-watcher.
Frierson: What have you been devouring of late when you've had the time?
Roberts: I watched the entire "Criminal Minds" series again [laughs]. There's a new show that just came out, "Inventing Anna," and it's really interesting. "Euphoria" has been good, too. I don't get to watch as much now because we're in-season and it's so busy, but over COVID I watched a lot of TV [laughs].
Frierson: Whenever you have time to travel, is there one place you can't wait to visit? Or is there something you can't wait to do?
Roberts: I am thinking about, after I graduate, just backpacking through Europe. Going on my own and going through a bunch of different countries. My mom did that after she graduated and I feel like if you don't do it right after school, once you get into the workforce you're never going to do it. I'm thinking about doing that this summer.
My and my best friend were supposed to go to Greece the year that COVID happened, we were going to hit all of the islands, so I think we might do that. I've been to a lot of countries because of gymnastics, when I was on the national team, but you never really get to explore, so there are a lot of cities that I want to go back to.
(This Q&A was lightly edited for length and clarity.)
Staff Writer
As Georgia senior gymnast Megan Roberts revealed during a Quick Chat a year ago, the Toronto native had never tasted a biscuit before coming to Athens. The United States and Canada share a lot more than just a long border, but there are interesting little everyday differences.
Roberts quickly found a home here and found a family with the Gymdogs and Georgia athletics. Now, as the Dean's List student-athlete heads toward graduation and starts thinking about life after gymnastics, she'd like, after she earns her master's degree, to move to New York and work in public relations.
During a Quick Chat before practice Tuesday, Roberts talked about the most Canadian thing about her, what she wants her future to look like, funny teammates, and much more. Here's some of what she had to say:
Frierson: What is life like these days when you've been in college for several years and you know the daily routine? How much different is it now versus when you first got here from Toronto a few years ago?
Roberts: It's completely different, I would say. I think in the first two years I really needed to learn time management and kind of prioritizing what I need to do to not feel so stressed because it can be very overwhelming with gymnastics and school and social life and everything.
I think it was hard because I got it figured out and then COVID happened and then I had to restart once we came back to campus and classes were in-person. I kind of had to go back to having a really busy life where I was going to class, to practice, to everywhere, and so I think being a senior now I've finally [laughs] figured it out four years later.
It's definitely something, being a student-athlete, that I think will help me going into my career, going into a really fast-paced environment.
Frierson: Do you know what's next for you? Or have a rough outline?
Roberts: I'm majoring in P.R., so I want to into the agency area of it and hopefully work with lifestyle, fashion, beauty clients. And I want to go to New York [laughs]. That's kind of the hub for P.R., but I don't have a specific plan yet. I'm doing a master's next year so I have one more year to figure that out before I go.
Frierson: Will it be weird to just be a student next year, or will you use the extra COVID year of eligibility that you have?
Roberts: I haven't quite decided on that yet [laughs]. It's an option, I think. I'm in an integrated master's program, so I've already started it, and I'll be done in five years with my undergrad and master's.
I think I'm going to try to get as much interning experience and real-world experience that I can get before I graduate, because I haven't really been able to get much of that. I do think there's a lot that I've learned from gymnastics that will help me in that industry. I know how to manage stress and my time and things like that. I'm hoping that I will excel in that field.
Frierson: And any employer, regardless of whether they know much about gymnastics, should be able to appreciate how much you know about hard work and determination.
Roberts: Doing this sport for my entire life, I devoted so many hours every week, and now it's almost like, OK, find something else you're good at. I think it's scary but I think in the last two years I've been able to figure out what interests me and what I can focus on outside of gymnastics, which has helped me in the gym because I'm not caught up in thinking that my whole life is gymnastics. That takes off some pressure, knowing that there are other things that I'm good at and things that I can work toward.
Frierson: I don't know if you can answer this question but here it is: What is the most Canadian thing about you? Is there something that stands out after being surrounded by Americans for much of the past four years?
Roberts: I've been told that I'm very nice and approachable, and I know Canadians are known for being nice. Because I grew up in Toronto, in the city, I don't have much of a Canadian accent. You wouldn't know I was Canadian when I talked to you. Most people don't know that I'm Canadian but once they do they're like, that's why you're so nice. They'll joke around about that.
I do like Canada a lot and I try to keep some things about me that are Canadian [laughs], even though I've lived here for four years. I miss the snow sometimes. It's good to go home for Christmas and have a bunch of snow, but it's only for a week and then I'm back here. I can handle that and it's pretty, but then I come back here and I like it here. ...
A few weeks ago it snowed here and everyone was freaking out. I ended up driving a friend's car because they were like, "We can't go out in the snow!" I was like, "Guys, it's an inch!" [Laughs.]
Frierson: Who is the funniest person on the team?
Roberts: That's kind of hard. I know last year it was Sterlyn Austin, but this year I find Katie Finnegan really funny. She's one of the underclassmen that I'm closest with — she's from New York and she's very straight-up. I like that about her and we get along really well.
My roommate, Emily Schild, is pretty funny. We have a fun time and she's good about getting me out of my head and making me laugh, especially during meets and practice.
Frierson: What are you two like at home? Is it almost like a sitcom?
Roberts: [Laughs] Honestly, we've been really good roommates and there have been no issues. She's very easygoing and so am I, so there's not much conflict. It's very fun and we laugh a lot and joke around.
We're also not even home that much just because we're traveling for meets or we're practicing, studying or seeing other people. It's a good dynamic.
Frierson: What do you do to get away from school and gymnastics?
Roberts: I made it a point my freshman year to make friends on the other teams at Georgia, just to get myself out of the gymnastics life. As much as these girls are my best friends and my family, I see them every day, all day, and it's a lot to just be around people in gymnastics where all you talk about is gymnastics.
When I'm really stressed, I like to go and hang out with my other friends. One of my best friends is on the soccer team and another one is on the tennis team, and I can hear about their stuff and not have any sort of invested involvement.
Even just sitting and watching TV or getting dinner helps me take my mind off everything going on here. I also really really like to watch Netflix, I'm a big binge-watcher.
Frierson: What have you been devouring of late when you've had the time?
Roberts: I watched the entire "Criminal Minds" series again [laughs]. There's a new show that just came out, "Inventing Anna," and it's really interesting. "Euphoria" has been good, too. I don't get to watch as much now because we're in-season and it's so busy, but over COVID I watched a lot of TV [laughs].
Frierson: Whenever you have time to travel, is there one place you can't wait to visit? Or is there something you can't wait to do?
Roberts: I am thinking about, after I graduate, just backpacking through Europe. Going on my own and going through a bunch of different countries. My mom did that after she graduated and I feel like if you don't do it right after school, once you get into the workforce you're never going to do it. I'm thinking about doing that this summer.
My and my best friend were supposed to go to Greece the year that COVID happened, we were going to hit all of the islands, so I think we might do that. I've been to a lot of countries because of gymnastics, when I was on the national team, but you never really get to explore, so there are a lot of cities that I want to go back to.
(This Q&A was lightly edited for length and clarity.)
Assistant Sports Communications Director John Frierson is the staff writer for the UGA Athletic Association and curator of the ITA Men's Tennis Hall of Fame. You can find his work at: Frierson Files. He's also on Twitter: @FriersonFiles and @ITAHallofFame.
Players Mentioned
FX
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