Eagan swimmer Mallory Weggemann defended her Paralympic gold medal in the women’s 200-meter individual medley in the SM7 classification on Saturday in Paris. And there was a very special fan in the stands to watch her do it: her 17-month-old daughter, Charlotte.
Eagan’s Mallory Weggemann wins fourth Paralympic gold medal in swimming, with her daughter watching
Swimmer Mallory Weggemann is competing in her fourth Paralympics but it’s the first time she’s racing for medals as a mom.
The Minnesota Star Tribune
September 1, 2024 at 4:53AM
In her fourth Paralympics but first as a mother, Weggemann won her fourth gold medal, setting a Paralympic record with a time of of 2 minutes, 53.29 seconds, nearly a second better than her previous mark. Weggemann, also the world record holder in the event, led at each turn and finished nearly 4 seconds ahead of silver medalist Tess Routliffe of Canada. Julia Gaffney of the United States took bronze.
In a television interview after the race, Weggemann said she looked at a photo of herself and her husband with her daughter on the night she was born in the ready room waiting for her race.
“I thought of all the strength it took to bring her into this world,” she said, “and I thought of how much I knew in my heart of hearts that they could finish this job.”
Since the Tokyo Paralympics three years ago, Weggemann and her husband, Jay Snyder, directed a documentary, “Watershed,” about their quest to become parents.
“Here we are doing it as a family and there’s no greater joy in this world,” she said Saturday.
It was grounding, she said, to go back her hotel after her preliminary swim to breast feed Charlotte and put her down for a nap. “I realized in that moment that no matter what I do here at the pool, to her, I’m just always mama,” Weggemann added.
After receiving her sixth career Paralympics medal, Weggemann got to hold her daughter and show her “she can be anything she dreams of in this world.”
She told TeamUSA.org there was a point a year ago when she thought that this moment wouldn’t happen, that she would have to retire to focus on being a mom.
“Winning Paralympic gold as a mom is something that I’ve dreamed of,” she said. “Competing as a mom is something I’ve dreamed of but having those two things today come into fruition. Tonight, being on the podium and seeing them and afterward getting to hold her. It is such a joy and such an honor and there is so much love and life filling this moment that I truly could not be happier.”
Weggemann is scheduled to compete in two other events in Paris: the 50-meter freestyle on Thursday and the 50 butterfly next Saturday.
The Afton, Minnesota native talks success, pressure, focus, and fun in this Q & A.
