Racing As A Mom, Mallory Weggemann Is ‘More Motivated, More Grounded Than Ever’

Since becoming a mother, three-time Paralympian Mallory Weggemann has seen a number of differences in her training and racing.

Some are intentional, such as focusing more on nutrition and sports psychology instead of demanding from herself a certain amount of distance in the pool, for instance. Some are logistical: It’s a lot different packing and traveling for a meet when the needs of a tiny human take top priority. And still others have surprised her, as was the case when Weggemann raced her full program for the first time in over a year at the recent Para Swimming World Series stop in Indianapolis.

“The entire program — so five events, with prelims and finals, 10 races — I just felt so in control in the water,” said Weggemann, who owns five Paralympic medals, including three gold. “I’ve never really dealt with pre-race anxiety or nerves in the ready room, but I’ve definitely had situations where, over the course of the competition, there was a race or a portion of a race where I just felt off. Like I was trying too hard or spinning out or not grabbing the water. Something just didn’t feel right. I made it through the entire program in Indianapolis and not once did I feel that way. There wasn’t a single moment where I felt out of control in the water.”

Weggemann has long used her platform as a vehicle to change minds and inspire conversations, especially about disability and male factor infertility, including her IVF journey with husband Jay Snyder. Since giving birth to their first child just over a year ago, she’s now proving that an athletic career doesn’t have to end with becoming a mother while simultaneously teaching her daughter to dream big.

After three and a half months completely out of the water — some of that mandated as her body healed from a C-section — Weggemann began training again slowly, a little at a time. By September she got more into a familiar rhythm, and then in December ramped things up even more. She now trains five days a week in the water and takes Saturday and Sunday off. Part of that, she said, is accepting that she’s an aging athlete at 35 years old with a spinal cord injury and damage to one arm, and training needs to be different than it was when she was younger.

It’s also about being a mom.

Charlotte will be 17 months in Paris, and Weggemann said that as a family they decided she didn’t want to look back on the first year and a half of her daughter’s life and realize she missed a lot because she was laser focused on training.

“I’ve been vocal with my team returning to training saying that the threshold I pushed myself to going into Tokyo, I’m still willing to do it, but with an asterisk: As long as I can go home and pick up my daughter,” she said. “That’s non-negotiable on this journey. So we’re getting creative at how we look at things and working smarter, not harder, and knowing when we need to push and when we’re just pushing to glorify the grind. So I’m probably more motivated than ever, but also more grounded than ever.”

Charlotte is now an ever-present piece of Weggemann’s training and competition journey. She brings the toddler to the gym with her once a week after she realized early on that trying to separate being an athlete from being a mom wasn’t working. A video she posted to social media shows the tot crawling on the floor and sitting between her mama’s legs as Weggemann gets treatments and works out.

“I need space to bring all of me into this journey, so bringing her in that environment with me is something that’s really special for the two of us,” Weggemann said. “And it gives my heart and mind space to understand this is a part of who I am now, and the more I embrace and celebrate that, the better I do at this.”

Charlotte’s also already a seasoned traveler, having made more than 40 flights with mama, and if you happen to meet her in the airport, you’ll know it.

“She loves waving,” Weggemann said. “If she doesn’t know you, you’ll get to know her. She’ll make a point of getting you to wave back. She’s very outgoing.”

Weggemann ended up medaling in four of her five events in Indianapolis, including wins in the 50-meter freestyle S7 and 200-meter individual medley SM7, her signature event. It’s no secret that one of her goals for Paris is to defend her gold medal in the 200 IM, after setting a Paralympic record in Tokyo.

“It’s my baby; I’ve loved that event since I was an age group swimmer,” she said.

But she also wants to return to a Paralympics where spectators are allowed, and she can swim in front of cheering fans and — most importantly — family.

“To be able to look up and see Jay and Charlotte and be on top of the podium and hear the national anthem and see the flag raised, that’s absolutely the ultimate dream,” she said. “To be able to do this with Charlotte and together as a family and actively show my daughter what it means to really follow through and to allow yourself as a woman to dream in fierce fashion and not be small about it. … I want to be that example every day for her.

“Tell the world you want to win a Paralympic gold medal, and don’t be small. Put that intention out there and fight for that and don’t let people tell you why you can or can’t do it.”

Karen Price is a reporter from Pittsburgh who has covered Olympic and Paralympic sports for various publications. She is a freelance contributor to USParaSwimming.org on behalf of Red Line Editorial, Inc.