Mallory Weggemann
 Mallory Weggemann and Olympic decathlete Bryan Clay at the Social Innovation Summit, December 2012 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Nationality | American | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born |
March 26, 1989 [1] Lawrence, Kansas, USA [2] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Residence | Minnesota, USA [2] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) [3] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Website |
malloryweggemannusa | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | Swimming | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Disability | Paraplegia | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Disability class | S8, SB7, SM8 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Club | Rip Tide Swim Team [1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Coached by | Mike Parratto [1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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| Updated on 4 February 2013. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Mallory Weggemann (born March 26, 1989) is a Paralympic swimmer from the USA. She became paraplegic after an epidural injection to treat post-shingles back pain in 2008.[4][5] She broke many world records in the S7 classification, and won multiple gold medals at the IPC Swimming World Championships in 2009 and 2010.[6] At the 2012 Paralympics, she was controversially reclassified to S8, a class for swimmers with less impairment.[7][8] She won the S8 50 metre freestyle event in a new Paralympic record time.[9]
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 ultimate 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’s dream came true, and she was able to “walk” again for the first time in nearly six years with her loved ones by her side. [10] In order to accomplish this dream Mallory worked very closely with Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN to learn how to use her customized leg braces with the assistance of forearm crutches. Although, Mallory’s wheelchair will never be replaced by her customized leg braces and forearm crutches, they have allowed her to have short moments of upright mobility and the freedom of standing at her 5’ 9” stature again.
Currently, Weggemann continues to train in pursuit of the 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and actively building upon her career outside of the pool through motivational speaking and other public appearances around the world. Mallory will also be 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. [11]
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
References
- 1 2 3 IPC infostradasports: Mallory Weggemann
- 1 2 Team USA: Mallory Weggemann
- ↑ "Mallory Weggeman: Turning the odds, in and out of the pool". American Public Media. 2 October 2012. Retrieved 4 February 2013.
- ↑ "Athlete swimming to greatness after paralysis". CNN. 21 August 2011. Retrieved 5 February 2013.
- ↑ Paralympic swimmer Mallory Weggemann sets US record
- ↑ "2010 IPC Swimming World Championships: Recaps and Results". Swimmers World Magazine. Retrieved 5 February 2013.
- ↑ "The thin line: Paralympic classification causes controversy". CNN. Retrieved 5 February 2013.
- ↑ "Paralympics: Mallory Weggemann shocked by classification change". BBC. Retrieved 4 February 2013.
- ↑ "2012 London Paralympics: Mallory Weggemann Earns Redemption With Gold Medal After Reclassification". Swimming World Magazine. 2 September 2012. Retrieved 5 February 2013.
- ↑ "Paralympic star Mallory Weggemann walks for second time". BBC. Retrieved 19 March 2014.
- ↑ "Mallory Weggemann Shares Inspiring Story with the Today Show". NBC. Retrieved 19 March 2014.
External links
- 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