Margaret O'Hara Swanke was born in California and lived on a farm in New York before graduating High School from Stuart Country Day School in New Jersey. Maggie was a 3 sport athlete in high school: Field Hockey, Basketball, and Lacrosse; and was a member of the PennBrook diving team in the summers. (3 members of her diving team made the Olympics, but not Maggie. She likes to say she was 'spectacularly average'! Maggie graduated from Boston College in 1983 with a degree in Mathematics and Romance Languages where she was a member of the Boston College Screaming Eagles Marching and Pep Band, a band that marched in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade and played for the Pope! While at BC a mutual friend introduced her to Karl Swanke. After graduation, they married and moved to Green Bay where Karl played for the Packers for 8 years and Maggie began the learning curve of football! Lets just say she has come a long way from thinking that a consolation game for not getting to the SuperBowl would be playing in the Rose Bowl or Cotton Bowl!! 

Beyond her role as weekend shelter coordinator and counselor at the Family Violence Center, during her time in Green Bay Maggie discovered three distinct callings that have defined her life ever since:

Cultural Exchange: As a result of a plea in the local paper, Maggie and Karl hosted a German exchange student, Oliver, and so began a multigenerational multitude of exchange students from around the world, concluding in 2027 with Olivers youngest son, Leo! While at Mount Mansfield Union High School Maggie founded the MMU Global Service Club for students to volunteer in underserved areas around the world.

Volunteerism:  In addition to being a wife of 43 years to Karl, mom to Sarah, 37; Sam, 32; and Hope,29; Maggie is an active part of her community and faith family. Karl was asked by a teammate to volunteer for the Special Olympics and Maggie soon joined in. Together they have reinvested in every community they have lived in, on nonprofit boards, as coaches in youth leagues, as youth group and AWANA leaders, in MOPS leadership, and FCA. Now as a teacher Maggie continues to encourage teens. She began her career at Essex High School in 2000 and is now a math specialist at Mount Mansfield Union High School where she also helps with the FCA Huddle. 

Most importantly, it was in Green Bay that Maggie committed to Faith in Jesus Christ: thanks to the investment and discipleship of an Athletes In Action couple, Maggie discovered the Good News of the Gospel: you don’t have to "try out" or be a star athlete to make God's team, because Jesus already put in the work and paid your dues through His atoning death on the cross and resurrection. When you trade your own efforts for faith in Him, you’re not only on the roster forever—you get the Holy Spirit as the ultimate Coach to guide, strengthen, and encourage you every step of the way.