FIU Olympic swimmer will compete in summer games for the second time

Sophomore Nicole Frank made her Olympic debut at Tokyo in 2021. She was only 17.

This month, Frank will head to Paris for her second Summer Olympic Games. She will be representing her native Uruguay and competing in the 200-meter Individual Medley (IM). 

Frank has swimming in her genes. Years ago, her grandmother — a passionate swimmer — qualified to represent Germany at the 1940 Helsinki Olympic Games. But the Olympics were canceled in the midst of World War II. Frank’s grandmother never got a chance to live out her swimming dreams.

As a child, Frank would hear her grandma tell stories about her competitive swimming days. She and her brother were drawn to the sport. They took up swimming, and it became Frank’s passion.

“I would come back from a meet, and my grandma would ask me how my races went or if I won medals,” Frank says. “She would tell me how she used to swim. The first time I went to the Olympics, it was about my grandma and fulfilling her dream.”

And even though her grandmother passed away in 2016 and did not get to see Frank compete in the Olympics, her memory fueled Frank’s determination. It got her to Tokyo.

Now, Frank’s inner drive has gotten her to qualify for Paris. She still plans on dedicating her accomplishments to those she loves — those who have supported her through thick and thin.

“This second Olympics goes for my family, my grandma, and my other grandma (from my mom’s side).”

Her maternal grandmother passed away in 2022. It hit Frank hard. “I was in the States, when she passed away at home in Uruguay,” Frank says. “I found out over the phone. It was hard. It was really hard. Losing both of my grandmothers [over the years] was so hard. Their memory is a really big motivator for me. I know that they are looking out for me from above and taking care of everything that I do.”

Swimming to success

At an early age, Frank committed to her swimming dreams. When she was 16 years old, she decided to move to the United States to take her swimming to the next level. Through a scholarship program of World Aquatics, at the time known as the International Federation of Swimming, she arrived in Florida.

She trained hard, competed at the Tokyo Olympics and then came back ready to continue her swimming career. She graduated high school and chose FIU.

“When I found out about FIU, I told myself, ‘This place is perfect,’” she says. “It’s in Florida. The coaches are so nice. The girls are amazing. On my first recruiting trip, I walked around campus, and I just loved it.”

Frank is majoring in sports management and is minoring in social media and e-marketing analytics. She plans to later add an international relations minor to her academics.

She says she’s found a strong community at FIU. “My best friends are on the team and the coaches are amazing,” she says. “I am so lucky to have them, FIU Athletics and professors who support us.”

Through the years, Frank has amassed an impressive collection of medals and a number of distinctions. She became the Uruguayan National Champion for the first time as a teenager. She earned two silver medals at Sudamericanos Escolares in 2017. In following years, she won a gold, a silver and two bronze medals at various Sudamericanos Juveniles championships. She also earned a gold medal at the Junior Pan American Games. She holds five long-course national records in Uruguay, and even more short-course records. 

At FIU, she won a gold medal at the 2023 American Athletic Conference (AAC) in the 400 IM (she also broke an FIU freshmen record for the 400 IM) and a silver in the 200 breaststroke. This year, at the AAC she earned a gold in the 400 IM, two silver medals and another gold as part of a relay. 

Overcoming and Achieving

While Frank’s long list of achievements is impressive, she says the journey hasn’t always been easy.

“My qualifications for this Olympics were really tough,” she says. “Mentally, I was drained.”

For the past few months, Frank had been struggling to overcome stress caused by various factors, such as her grieving for her grandmother, her lack of willingness to communicate her feelings to her family and the pressure she put on herself to continue achieving athletically.

“I felt I wasn’t improving or giving my best,” she says. “I missed my family. One day I finally got the guts to talk to my mom. Once I spoke to her, I started talking to my psychologist. My psychologist helped me through the whole process. I’m doing well now.”

She adds that finding a psychologist was crucial for her. “Anyone, whether athlete or not, should speak up. There are times when you can’t keep things to yourself. You have to be brave and seek help.”

The day she qualified for the Paris Olympics marked something of a comeback in Frank’s own faith in herself.

“It demonstrated a lot about me, and how I’m capable of getting over things,” she says. “I felt really proud and really happy. Even though I was in a dark spot [the last few months], I was able to get out of there. Could there be a better gift or reward than going to the Olympics?”

Paris 2024

Frank is eager to fully enjoy the Olympics and compete in Paris. With fewer covid restrictions this time around, Frank plans to explore the Olympic village — and the host city.

“I’m definitely going to the Eiffel Tower,” she says. “I’m excited about getting to know Paris. And I’m excited to share my Olympic journey on social media.”

Along with fellow Panther swimmer and soon-to-be-Paris-Olympian Oumy Diop, Frank has created a plan for social media vlogs while at the Olympics.

“We ordered two microphones, we’re planning to do videos, edit them and post them online,” Frank says. “We’re really excited to share our Olympic experience.”

To get the scoop on Frank’s and Diop’s Olympic adventures, check out their updates on Instagram. And cheer them on when you see them jump into the pool.

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The Olympics begin July 26 and the Paralympics begin August 28. Keep your eyes peeled for Panthers competing in Paris:

Alumna and two-time Olympian Angelica Delgado will be representing the United States in judo. The Cuban American is a three-time Grand Slam medalist, five-time Grand Prix medalist and nine-time Senior Pan American Championships medalist.

Sophomores Oumy Diop and Nicole Frank will represent Senegal and Uruguay, respectively, in swimming at the Olympics. Learn more about their stories on FIU News.

Sophomore Gia Pergolini, will be representing the United States in para-swimming during the Paralympics. Pergolini is the defending 100m backstroke gold medalist and the former world record holder in the event.