Mallory Weggemann

Mallory Weggemann, a Paralympic swimmer, has been involved in competitive swimming since the age of seven. In 2008, a series of epidural injections intended to treat back pain caused by postherpetic neuralgia instead resulted in the complete loss of movement from her abdomen down, making Weggemann a paraplegic.

Three months after her injury at the age of 18, Weggemann chose to return to the pool. Her older sister found an article about the Paralympic Swimming Trials at the University of Minnesota, and with the encouragement of her family, Weggemann attended the meet as a spectator. Still adjusting to her new disability, Weggemann found her love for swimming unchanged.

In less than a year and a half, Weggemann began breaking world records, starting with the 2009 Can Am Speedo Para Swim Meet. Over the next four years, she broke 34 American Records and 15 World Records in the S7 classification and became a twelve-time World Champion. She won multiple gold medals at the IPC Swimming World Championships and a gold and bronze medal at the controversially reclassified S8 category during the 2012 London Paralympic Games. Weggemann's gold medal race in the S8 50-meter freestyle event, set in a new Paralympic record time, was one of the most memorable moments of the 2012 Games and captured the attention of audiences worldwide.

After the London 2012 Games, Weggemann launched a successful career as a motivational speaker while continuing her swimming training. Despite sustaining permanent nerve damage to her left arm in 2014, which threatened her athletic journey, Weggemann fought back with the support of her coach, Steve Van Dyne. She trained for the 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro and represented the United States at the delayed 2020 Summer Paralympics in Tokyo, where she won several medals and broke two records. Weggemann has been named to represent the United States at the 2022 World Para Swimming Championships.

Alongside her swimming achievements, Weggemann has been honored with the World Disabled Swimmer of the Year award in 2009 and 2010 and the USA Swimming Disabled Swimmer of the Year award in 2009, 2010, and 2011. She also won the Best Female Athlete with a Disability ESPY Award in 2011. In a significant personal achievement, Weggemann regained the ability to "walk" for the first time in nearly six years with the help of customized leg braces and forearm crutches. Currently residing in Eagan, Minnesota, Weggemann continues to inspire others through her public speaking engagements and her TEDx talk, "Triumph over Tragedy."