| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Nationality | American |
| Born |
March 26, 1989 Lawrence, Kansas, U.S. |
| Height | 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) |
| Website | malloryweggemannusa |
| Sport | |
| Sport | Swimming |
| Disability | Paraplegia |
| Disability class | S7, SB6, SM7 |
| Club | FINIS & JOLYN |
| Coached by | Steve Van Dyne |
Medal record | |
| Updated on 31 March 2021. | |
Mallory Weggemann (born March 26, 1989) is an American Paralympic swimmer.
Career
She became a T10-complete paraplegic after an epidural injection to treat post-shingles back pain in 2008. She broke many world records in the S7 classification, and won multiple gold medals at the IPC Swimming World Championships in 2009 and 2010. At the 2012 Paralympics, she was controversially reclassified to S8, a class for swimmers with less impairment. She won the S8 50 metre freestyle event in a new Paralympic record time.
Just under four months after becoming paralyzed Mallory was back in the pool, with her eyes on gold at the 2012 Paralympic Games. Having achieved that goal, she decided it was time to chase her dream, to walk again. For years, this was something that was deemed impossible, but a new possibility arose and in order to achieve her goal, Mallory reached out to the public to ask for their support through a crowd funding Indiegogo campaign. On November 16, 2013, Mallory was able to "walk" again for the first time in nearly six years, with the aid of customized leg braces and forearm crutches.Although Mallory's wheelchair will never be replaced by her braces and crutches, they have allowed her to have short moments of upright mobility.
Weggemann trained for the 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and actively building upon her career outside of the pool through motivational speaking. Mallory was featured in "The Current," a documentary produced by Make A Hero, a non-profit organization focused on inspiring individuals with disabilities to enjoy the freedom of adaptive sports.
In June 2021 the US announced the 34 Paralympic swimmers who would be going to the delayed 2020 Summer Paralympics in Tokyo. The women's team was Weggemann, Jessica Long, McKenzie Coan, Rebecca Meyers and Elizabeth Marks. Weggmann would go on to win several medals and break two records during the Tokyo Games.
On April 14, 2022, Weggemann was named to the roster to represent the United States at the 2022 World Para Swimming Championships.
Honors and awards
- World Disabled Swimmer of the Year - 2009, 2010
- USA Swimming Disabled Swimmer of the Year (Trischa L. Zorn Award) - 2009, 2010, 2011
- Best Female Athlete with a Disability ESPY Award - 2011
Personal life
She lives in Eagan, Minnesota.
External links
- Mallory Weggemann at TeamUSA.org
- Mallory Weggemann at the International Paralympic Committee
- Mallory Weggemann at IPC.InfostradaSports.com
- Mallory Weggemann at the IPC Tokyo 2020 website
- Athlete swimming to greatness after paralysis
- Mallory Weggemann on Trans World Sport
- Mallory Weggemann - "Triumph over Tragedy" TEDx UNPlaza
- Mallory Weggemann - "The Journey of New Mobility" Part 1
- ERM Speaking Engagement
