Swimmer Spotlight – Maggie Trujillo


Maggie Trujillo, 35
Southern Oregon Masters (SOMA)
Executive Chef, Larks Inn at the Commons in Medford, Oregon

Maggie Trujillo Executive Chef Larks Medford

Maggie Trujillo Executive Chef Larks Medford

As Executive Chef, I am responsible for all food and kitchen staff at the Inn at the Commons.  We have a 125-seat restaurant and lounge featuring a local farm to table menu.  The produce we bring in is hyper-local featuring several local farms, creameries and foragers.  I manage 20 cooks and dishwashers.  I am also responsible for all banquet and catering for the hotel.  I enjoy my job.  I love being able to work with local farmers when I’m creating dishes.  I also enjoy teaching my cooks.  I have been with Larks for 3.5 years and have been cooking since 2002.

I grew up swimming in Idaho.  I joined Caldwell Swim Club when I was 8 years old.  I excelled in Backstroke, Freestyle, Butterfly and IM (everything but breaststroke).  I was a top performer in the PNW region and was a nationally ranked age-grouper in backstroke.  I swam for the Boise YMCA and Bishop Kelly High School in my teen years.  I held several Snake River Records and High School Team Records.  I enjoyed teaching others to swim and gave private swim lessons at my house throughout high school.

I stopped competing when I graduated high school.  I attended college at Boise State for a year before I began working in a restaurant.  At that point, my career path was set.  I decided to attend Western Culinary Institute, Le Cordon Bleu in Portland, Oregon.  I met my husband, Jason, in culinary school.  We lived and worked in Portland for 5 years before relocating to the Rogue Valley.

Over the years, I swam off and on for fun, but not seriously.  I enjoy running with my dogs and hiking.  Last summer when the wildfire smoke became too intense to run outdoors, I decided it might be fun to get back in the pool to stay in shape, and that is where I met my swim crew.  After one week back in the water, I met Matt Miller, Mark Hageman and Mike Servant.  They were working out in the lane next to me at Superior Athletic Club, and swimming all strokes very fast.  I was recruited to join Masters by Matt.  In November, I attended my first swim meet in 17 years at the PNA Championships in Federal Way, WA, and made top ten national Masters times in the 200 back and 50 fly.  I swam my second Masters competition a couple months later at the Oregon Association Championship meet in Corvallis.

Returning to the sport I loved so much as a child has been very fun and rewarding.  SOMA swim team has grown tremendously since it was formed last year.  I think my favorite part of returning to the sport, aside from the competition, is the tremendous sense of comradery amongst Masters swimmers.  I enjoy challenging myself in the pool with my friends on a daily basis.

I enjoy cooking at home with my husband.  We love camping all throughout Oregon when we can get away, and I intend to try some open water swims this summer.

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