story by Siri Stevens
Millie Frey is the middle sister to Chloe (17) and Allie (13). “I wouldn’t change anything about it,” said the 14-year-old from Mowata, Louisiana. “I have my older sister to look up to and my younger sister looks up to me.” She admits that they fight, but says that the fights bring them closer together. “I like our family just like it is – I don’t have to worry about boys messing everything up.”
Mowata is a very small community located in between Lake Charles and LaFayette. “It’s very small and everybody knows everything about each other.” The family owns a Western store ten miles from there in Eunice, and she spends lots of time there helping her mom with the store.
This is her last year in the Louisiana Junior High Rodeo Association. “I’ve enjoyed it; everyone is close and all your friends are supportive of each other, win or lose. It’s friendly.” Millie competes in barrels, poles, goats, breakaway roping, and ribbon roping. Her favorite is breakaway. “It’s a fast event and you have to know what to do and do it fast.”
Millie has been riding since she was two and started competing when she was seven. “I started with barrels and goat ribbon pull,” she said. “I never get tired of it and I wouldn’t trade it for anything.” She practices three to four times a week. “I had an okay year, it wasn’t my best, but overall it was good. I made it to state in all my events, but didn’t make it to Nationals.” She went to Nationals to support her little sister. It was hard for her to go and not be able to compete. “I said to myself that next year was going to be my year,” she said. “I was there to cheer her on and help her finish strong, but I’m determined to be there next year.” She also traveled to the National High School Finals to support her older sister, Chloe.
Millie is thinking about going into dermatology when she grows up. “I think that would be fun for me and I would enjoy doing it. I could do it.” She would have to go to school for eight years, and that doesn’t thrill her. Her favorite subject in school is religion. “I have learned a lot about the Bible and it teaches me a lot about how things were back then and how blessed we are here now.”
Millie plays basketball, volleyball, and has just started track. “I’m very busy,” she admits. “My mom (Cindy) and my dad (Winston) get me where I need to be and where they think I need to be. If it wasn’t for them, I wouldn’t be anywhere.” She has had to pick and choose what she does, and they make plans as a family to get it all done. She likes basketball the best of the sports. “It’s fast and I’m always moving and learning new tricks.”
She wakes up every day determined. “If I want to be successful in life, I need to work hard and fight for what I want. At the end it will all play out, I just need to fight for what I want.”
