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Meet the former exchange student turned pro-disc golfer who's back in Sterling

Fritiof Fagergren came to Sterling as a Swedish exchange student and fell in love with disc golf. Now he's back and gearing up to help host a tournament on Dec 23.

STERLING, Ill. — One of Fritiof Fagergren’s biggest passions began while he was a Swedish exchange student living in Sterling, IL. Today, that love for the sport of disc golf has brought him all over the world.  

Fagergren was first introduced to the game of tossing frisbees while living in Sterling. As he puts it, he didn’t love disc golf during his first game. It wasn’t until he played for a second time that he began to fall in love.  

“It totally changed my life,” Fagergren said.  

He credits his time playing and practicing on the Sinnissippi course in Sterling for his current trajectory, which has seen him play as a professional on the Swedish and Euro tours.  

Now, Fagergren is back in Sterling to visit his host family for the holidays.  

To celebrate, he’s helping throw a special tournament at the course where it all started, Sinnissippi Park, on Saturday, December 23. It’s a two-person random play tournament that’s open to anyone. Play starts at 11 a.m. at the park and the entry fee is $5.  

Fagergren says it’s a great way to not only get back to his disc golf roots but also give back to the community at the same time.  

He joined The Current on News 8 to discuss the tournament, developing his passion in Sterling, and his time in America, including the other traditions in the United States he fell in love with. You can watch the full interview in the above video. 

 

Tune into The Current from 4 to 5 p.m. on weekdays to catch even more live interviews impacting you, your family and your hometown as well as all of the biggest headlines of the day. 

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