Colleen Fahey
[By: Megan McFadden]
50 Years of Women in Sports is an accomplishment that has built many female leaders. There are many stories to be told about how athletics has left a lasting impact on our lady Seminoles. “I remember choosing to come to FSU because of how many sports were offered for women. I thought if I wanted to play a sport in college I would have a good chance at Florida State,” says Colleen Fahey, an FSU Rugby alumna whose become legendary in the Rugby community. Rugby has been a Sport Club on campus since the early 70’s, but not a lot of students are well versed in the club’s history.
“Women’s Rugby was brought onto campus by men – but that is as far as their credit goes. It was the women’s team that put FSU Rugby on the map,” Fahey claims. Florida State's Women’s Rugby ultimately served as a stepping stone to the rest of Fahey’s career. The foundation that was built while she was in the program still remains important to her today. “My biggest takeaway from my time with FSU Women’s Rugby was how it was all about teamwork. Being self-coached by an all women team was unique at the time. We had no males helping us, and the fact that it was a bunch of women working together to perform at such a high level was truly empowering. I was never overly outspoken and the fact that I came to a team that was coached by women motivated me to go on to lead and use my voice like the women before me had done.”
When freshman Fahey arrived on Florida State’s campus in the early 80’s, she knew she was where she needed to be. She joined a sorority that was known for being athletic, which brought her to Intramural Sports. Fast forward to her senior year when two of her sisters encouraged her to come out for a Rugby Club Practice. The FSU Women’s Rugby team was on the rise – with women coming from all around the South and even a few Europeans. Her first season ended better than most, as the women’s team won the National Championships that year.
One of Fahey’s favorite memories from playing at Florida State was when her team played a scrum during Florida State’s Garnet and Gold game halftime. She explained that playing in Doak and hearing a stadium full of people cheering her team on was a sound that she will never forget. That was just the beginning of her very impressive career. In her next six years of playing she was invited to play for the Eagles, better known as the USA National Rugby Team. The Eagles traveled to Wales to play in the Inaugural Women’s Rugby World Cup. Not only did they play, but they won! They are to date the only American team to win the Rugby World Cup, male and female. Last year, Fahey and five other women who competed at Worlds were inducted into the United States Rugby Hall of Fame.
Still true to the love of competition, Fahey’s active lifestyle brought her to the CrossFit Blackbox on Gaines Street. In 2013, she made her debut at the CrossFit Games, where she placed first in her 50-54 age group and has competed every year since. Talking with Fahey and learning about her journey reflects the importance that athletics has during a student’s time here at Florida State University. Being apart of an athletic club also created this momentous force that Flahey carried into her adult life. FSU’s ability to embrace women in athletics has created that momentum for so many amazing women throughout the years. Having the chance to see Fahey’s scrapbook filled with newspaper clippings and team photos truly highlights the unique group of women that made up the team and coaching staff. Looking at her story and accomplishments, it’s fair to say her athletic career began the fateful night she showed up for rugby practice here at Florida State University.