While most high-caliber athletes share a long-standing love affair with their sport, women’s rowing junior Felice Mueller’s love for hers is more of a recent development.

But no one would have known that this past summer. Mueller won her claim to fame after taking home the gold in the pair race at the Under-23 Rowing World Championships in Brest, Belarus in July. Along with the win over the defending champion Romanian team, Mueller and former teammate Ashley Kroll broke the Under-23 pair world record by 0.87 seconds.

And to think, just six years ago she wasn’t even comfortable being on the water.

“It was so awkward,” Mueller said of her first time rowing during her freshman year of high school. “Most of the other girls had been rowing before. I had no idea what I was doing. The boat was tipping everywhere … I really didn’t like it at first.”

Despite her early struggles, Mueller proved a natural at the sport after placing at the national level with her silver medal performance in the women's four at the 2006 U.S. Rowing Youth National Championships when she was just a sophomore in high school. While she enjoyed the success that came with rowing, Mueller never considered herself a jock.

“I was never really friends with my teammates in high school. I didn’t want to be thought of as a crew freak,” Mueller said.

She said her turning point occurred on the Junior National Team in 2007, where she first met Michigan coach Mark Rothstein at the Lake Placid Olympic Training Center.

Mueller went on to take home the bronze for Team USA in the women’s eight in Beijing, China. Soon after, Mueller was offered a chance to row for Michigan.

“I was hesitant about going to a college for rowing, but I was so glad I did," Muller said. "I’ve grown to love it.”

Right out of the gate, the coaches aimed their sights on Mueller.

She was one of only four freshmen to make the top-eight boat. And since her arrival at Michigan she’s just gotten better.

“Felice was good before she got to Michigan and is working hard to get better each week,” Rothstein said. “She has a serious shot at getting on the national team, but she still has a ways to go before reaching her full potential.”

Earlier this season, Mueller was honored during a Michigan football game. Despite her extensive recognition, she remains humble.

“I just don’t think it’s that big of a deal, at least not as big of a deal as people make it out to be,” Mueller said of the World Championship win. “I figured if I could do it then it can’t be that great. I just couldn’t believe I was there. Luckily, Ashley and I got into a strong rhythm and we were able to pull it out.”

According to teammates, Mueller doesn’t let all the hype get in the way of the team dynamic either.

“Felice is the type of person you always want to be in the boat with,” Mueller’s teammate and good friend, Nellie Ruedig, said. “You know that she is always going to be sacrificing herself to go as fast as possible.”

Mueller has just completed her third fall season for the Wolverines and began her winter training two weeks ago. With the spring season approaching, she has high hopes for the experienced Wolverines.

“We have a lot of the pieces to the puzzle,” Rothstein said. “We have quite a bit of talent, a good senior class who works hard and are great leaders … but we have a way to go before we know what kind of team we’re going to have.”

With Mueller as important piece of that puzzle, Rothstein and his team are confident that it will all pull together by March.

And, these days, she is proud to call herself a “crew freak.”