Four-Time Paralympic Swimmer and New Mother Mallory Weggemann Earns Fourth Gold Medal

Former Gardner-Webb Student-Athlete Sets Paralympic Record; Set to Compete Again on Thursday, Sept. 5

BOILING SPRINGS, N.C.—”The vision of getting behind the starting blocks in Paris at my fourth Paralympic Games and looking to the stands and seeing Jay holding our daughter has been something that has been ingrained in my mind and heart long before we knew Charlotte was Charlotte. A vision that gave me strength when I needed it most, grounding me in my purpose when I felt overwhelmed and anchored me in my ‘why’ when the journey felt all consuming.”

Four-time Paralympic swimmer and former Gardner-Webb student-athlete Mallory Weggemann wrote the above words on her Facebook page on Sept. 2, after winning the fourth gold medal in her career on Aug. 31 in the 200m IM SM7. (Video here.) She broke her own Paralympic record by almost a second and did so only 17 months after giving birth to her first child, Charlotte. She was out of the water for three and a half months, healing from a C-section. She trains five days a week in the water, takes Saturday and Sunday off, and maximizes time spent being a mom.

Weggemann competes again on Thursday, Sept. 5, at 1:56 p.m. in the women’s 50-meter freestyle S8. She holds the world record of 31.64 in that event.

Weggemann and her husband have been open about their infertility journey, sharing posts on Facebook and producing a documentary about their story, “Watershed.” The film began streaming on Peacock in July. (Learn more, here. ) They also co-founded TFA Group, an agency and production studio striving to change the perception of disability in society through the power of storytelling.

“It’s no secret that after Charlotte was born, I contemplated retirement,” Weggemann, 35, continued her Facebook post. “It wasn’t because I didn’t still love the sport, or that I felt ready to be done, but rather that I felt there wasn’t a path forward for me as a female athlete who was now a mom. It felt like everywhere I turned there were hurdles making it harder.”

However, after discussing the possibility with her husband, Jay Snyder, they decided she would compete again and to fight for this dream as a family. “These two give it all meaning and I am so grateful we get to chase these dreams together, as a family,” she concluded on her post with her usual hashtags: #ProtectTheDream #MamaOnAMission

In her Paralympic career, Weggemann is a six-time medalist (four gold, one silver and one bronze). She won two gold medals in the Tokyo 2020 games one in the 100-meter backstroke and another in the 200-meter individual medley. She also brought home a silver medal in the 50-meter butterfly.

Weggemann, of Eagan, Minn., started swimming competitively at 7 years old, following in the footsteps of her two older sisters, but she hadn’t planned to continue beyond high school. However, at 18 years old, her life changed forever when an epidural to treat nerve pain brought on by shingles left her paralyzed from the waist down. Determined that paralysis wouldn’t define her, she described the journey in her book, “Limitless: The Power of Hope and Resilience to Overcome Circumstance.” Weggemann changed her story with the help of her family’s motto, “good overcomes,” and by accepting help.

She came to Gardner-Webb in 2008 after asking people within the swimming community if they knew of any collegiate programs that were open to having an adaptive swimmer a part of their program. “Back in 2008, there weren’t a lot of opportunities for athletes with disabilities,” Weggemann said in a previous interview with University Communications. “(GWU) was really receptive to having me a part of the team, and the disabilities program was phenomenal about figuring out how to make it all work and it seemed like the right fit.”

The University renovated one of the dorms to meet Weggemann’s needs. “They basically went into problem-solving mode over Christmas break and built a new entrance into one of the dorms for the lower floor, renovated one of the bathrooms on the main floors and made it wheelchair accessible, they did everything they could to make sure campus was ready for me when I arrived.”

After competing with GWU, Weggemann made the U.S. national team and moved to Minnesota to be closer to home and to train with her former coach. In 2012, she competed in her first Paralympics Games in London, winning a gold and bronze medal.

“My teammates there (at GWU) met me and knew me as I was, they weren’t grieving the fact that I was newly paralyzed, and that was really refreshing because I just got to find my stride,” Weggemann remembers. “It was a really, really powerful experience that, while short, was pivotal in my journey as I found a way to move forward after my injury.”

Sources:

• GWU 2021 Magazine story, access here.
• Mallory Weggemann Facebook Page, access here.
• U.S. Paralympics Swimming, story here.

Gardner-Webb University is North Carolina’s recognized leader in private, Christian higher education. A Carnegie-Classified Doctoral/Professional University, GWU is home to nine colleges and schools, more than 80 undergraduate and graduate majors, and a world-class faculty. Located on a beautiful 225-acre campus in Boiling Springs, N.C., Gardner-Webb prepares graduates to impact their chosen professions, equips them with the skills to advance the frontiers of knowledge, and inspires them to make a positive and lasting difference in the lives of others. Ignite your future at Gardner-Webb.edu.