Eagan native Mallory Weggemann on her Paralympic wins

CATHY WURZER: Eagan, Minnesota native Mallory Weggemann has just returned to Minnesota after another amazing Paralympic run. And she's added some more hardware to her collection. She took Silver in the Women's 50 Meter Butterfly and Gold in the Women's 200 Meter Individual Medley.

Mallory is on the line. It was so much fun to watch you, Mallory. Congratulations!

MALLORY WEGGEMANN: Oh, thank you so much. I so appreciate it.

CATHY WURZER: Oh, my goodness. I bet there was a point, maybe, even a year or two ago where you thought, no, I don't think I can do it. Would that be right, especially with that little one in your life?

MALLORY WEGGEMANN: Yeah. You know, I'm a mom of a 1 and 1/2 year old. And it's wild doing this as a mom, right?

These were my fourth Paralympic games, but obviously, my first time doing it as a parent. And I think that there certainly was. In fact, about a year ago, there was a point in time where I looked at my husband and I said, I don't know how we do this. Maybe we start talking about retirement.

It just felt so overwhelming and trying to figure out how those two worlds came together. And I'm so fortunate for the support that's surrounded me, because it's what helped keep that dream alive. And there's been nothing more special in this world than to be able to do this as a family and to get behind those starting blocks on August 31 in Paris for my fourth Paralympic games and look to the stands and see Jay and our daughter Charlotte and family and know that even at the times when this journey felt daunting, we, in fact, saw it through. And most of all, we got to see it through as a family.

CATHY WURZER: Oh, my goodness. Oh, how great. Say, I'm wondering, how did you balance being a mom and being an athlete in Paris? I know they had, at least I heard, that they kind of were helpful in terms of helping the parents. Was that right?

MALLORY WEGGEMANN: Yeah. So they had a first ever nursery in the Olympic and Paralympic Village, which was really cool. It was a place that was made to come together so parents, athlete parents could spend time with their families while they were in the village.

And so my husband and our daughter came into the Village one day so we could spend time as a family in the nursery. And then, once the competition started, I actually moved out of the Village and went to a hotel closer to the competition venue so I could stay with my husband and our daughter. I'm still breastfeeding, so we're also on that journey.

And it allowed for not only us to continue to do it as a family unit, but for us to kind of keep some of those things that we were so used to in the journey that got us to Paris as a part of our day-to-day. And, you know, on the day in particular that I won Gold in the 200 IM, I left the pool for prelims that morning. I went back to the hotel.

I breastfed our daughter. I put her down for a nap. We both took a nap together that afternoon. And I went back to finals that night and won my sixth Paralympic medal, which happened to be Gold.

And I think for me it was such a grounding space to ensure that I got to continue to do this the way my husband and I set out, which was as a family. And that was our non-negotiable from Day 1 if we were going to keep going, and also ensure that I was able to find that balance of what served my heart. I think athletics are an amazing thing, but they can be isolating. And we've talked so much about mental health in these past handful of years and the importance of that. And so it was a really special way to balance both sides of who I am as a person, as a competitor and as a mom, and kind of embrace the totality of my identity.

CATHY WURZER: By the way, talk to me a little bit about your swims. I mean, you looked really strong. How did you feel?

MALLORY WEGGEMANN: I felt the strongest I've ever felt in my career. But I also, more than that, felt the most grounded that I've ever felt. And I think that's what was so fun about these games is I've had so much clarity since coming back into competition post-having Charlotte. And, you know, I had the honor of racing at nationals while I was 26 weeks pregnant with her. And she's truly been on this entire journey with us.

And so it's been so fun, but it's also been so grounding. And it's anchored me in why I'm doing it. And there's something so freeing knowing that when I go to the pool and I get behind those blocks and I race, at the end of the day, the outcome really doesn't matter. I'm, you know, fourth Paralympic games. I've been on the podium prior to these games five times over.

But this time around it was just so different because at the end of the day, I knew that to Charlotte, I'm still Mom all the same. And there was something so freeing and so liberating and so grounding in that another medal doesn't change anything about who I am. I'm not different today. As I got home from Paris, you know, with my two medals in tow, than I was a month ago when I left.

I'm still the same person. And there's something very freeing about getting to a point in your career where you have clarity in that. Because it's really easy to get wrapped up in these performances becoming the end all and be all of our identity as individuals.

CATHY WURZER: So do you think that you've shown now that motherhood is not the end of an athletic career? Do you think that you are now inspiring a new generation that's behind you to feel empowered to pretty much do the same?

MALLORY WEGGEMANN: Oh, gosh, I so hope so. I mean, there's women that inspired me on this journey. And we're still in this stage where as female athletes, we're we're still kind of having to fight tooth and nail a little bit to showcase that motherhood does not symbolize the end of a career. Right?

It can be the continuation. And and I think that's so special and powerful. And I'm really proud of the fact that not only did I win Gold in the 200 IM, but I actually did it faster than I won Gold in it in Tokyo.

CATHY WURZER: Yes.

MALLORY WEGGEMANN: And not only can you continue, but you can be faster. And so that was really exciting. But more than that, I just hope it can be a source of inspiration for people to understand that motherhood is a comma and not a period. It is a part of our identity, but it's not the entirety of it.

And we can still have dreams and goals and ambitions and be an amazing mom and continue in our pursuit of those dreams and ambitions and goals. And so I certainly hope that there's other female athletes who have been able to help inspire and empower in their own journey. And I also hope that I'm able to show by example to our daughter and her generation what's possible for them as young girls growing up in our society.

CATHY WURZER: Isn't it going to be fun when she gets older to see the photographs and the videos of Paris and know she was there?

[LAUGHS]

MALLORY WEGGEMANN: It's so special. And some of my favorites are just seeing her cheering in the stands and being with my husband and my parents and my sister. And she got so into it.

She had her little cowbell and her pom pom. And I mean, she loved it. And she grew up so much in our month overseas. And it was so special to see each and every one of those moments.

CATHY WURZER: By the way, because you were faster than you were in Tokyo, to what do you attribute? Did you change anything in terms of training, anything different that you did this time around than, say, before?

MALLORY WEGGEMANN: I gave myself permission to take the pressure off.

CATHY WURZER: Oh.

MALLORY WEGGEMANN: And it's amazing what can happen when you do that. And I think that we really approached-- we trained incredibly hard for these games, but we also allowed for balance and understanding that there's so much more to who I am as a person than being an athlete. And, you know, also I worked the Olympics for NBC as a host. And that's what I spent my final month of preparation stateside doing, was living in Stamford, Connecticut, with my family, hosting the Olympic Games for NBC for this time around.

And so I had that opportunity to fuel that passion. My husband and I released our documentary Watershed, which released on Peacock in July. And we were co-directors on that. And so I created space in my life this go round to lean into my speaking career, to lean into what my husband and I are doing in production with our film, to lean into the career that I'm working to build in broadcast, and lean into being a mom and not put everything into swimming as the end all, be all of who I am as a person.

And I think by doing that, it created space for me to realize that I go to the pool every single day for no other reason than because I love it. I'm not there because I have to be there. I'm there because I get to be there. And something about that took the pressure off.

I don't need to go win another medal in my athletic career. I may want to, and that may be a goal that I have, but it's not a necessity for who I am as an individual. And there's something in that that I think allowed me to just be.

And as a result, I was able to to do this journey, like I said, with more clarity and being more grounded. But also I think I was able to be more efficient and effective. And that allowed me to continue to push the envelope of becoming better as not just a human being, but also an athlete.

CATHY WURZER: And there's a lesson for all of us in what you did. You know? And I'm wondering, now that you're back home, the competition does take something out of a body. How are you taking care of yourself right now?

MALLORY WEGGEMANN: You know, I'm giving myself time to be with our family. It's been really nice to just slow down the past few days, I got home on Friday, and just be. I have an entryway full of bags that still need to be unpacked, but, you know, one day at a time.

And I think that just giving myself space to process, it's been such an exciting journey, like I said. It was an exciting journey with the games, but we also had the ultimate high of having our documentary release and hosting an Olympic Games for NBC, to then go right into a Paralympics. So it's been kind of this really fast paced, high energy life the past few months. And so to now kind of take a deep breath while also continuing to pour into those passions has been really special. And I'm just kind of letting myself take it day-by-day, and enjoy this season for what it is, and celebrating what it is that we accomplished in Paris, but also what our goals are for the fall as we continue to watch Watershed make its way into the world.

CATHY WURZER: Wow. And of course, get some sleep in the meantime, obviously. Are you thinking about LA in 2028? Too early?

MALLORY WEGGEMANN: You know, no, I am. I think it's become very clear that I still love the sport. I think it was very clear to me in Paris that I still have more to give to the sport and that there's more that I would like out of it.

So the rule right now in our family is as long as I love it and as long as it works for our family, you will see me in LA in '28. Because I also want Charlotte to be able to remember this journey. And there'll be nothing more meaningful than to be able to do it with her at an age where she'll be able to hold on to it and remember the process and us doing it together as a family unit.

CATHY WURZER: How fun. Oh, my goodness. Mallory, it's always a pleasure talking to you. Thank you so much. Again, congratulations. And really, go take a nap. I think you deserve it.

MALLORY WEGGEMANN: Thank you so much. Thank you.

CATHY WURZER: Four time Paralympian and Minnesota native, Eagan, Minnesota native Mallory Weggemann.