Two-time Paralympian Mallory Weggemann sat down with Josh Davis and Swimming World TV at the ASCA World Clinic in Anaheim, California. Weggemann swam at the 2012 and 2016 Paralympics and she is looking to qualify for her third Games in Tokyo in two years.
Weggemann explained how she was classified (1:36) and how she became a paraplegic. Weggemann said she started swimming at age 7 and swam through high school. Weggemann heard about the opportunities in Paralympic swimming in 2008 and she was back in the pool about two and a half months after her paralysis.
Weggemann also explained how she got injured (2:31) in 2014 leading into the 2016 Rio Paralympics, and how the injury kept lingering over her. Weggemann was pulled from competition after the Rio Games and she did not swim for a whole year.
Weggemann said she will be swimming in her first meet since Rio next weekend, which will be almost two full years to the day since she last swam at a meet.
Weggemann is at the ASCA World Clinic with Team FINIS (3:07) and she talked about her excitement for that partnership leading into the 2020 Paralympics, joining the likes of American Olympians Olivia Smoliga, Anthony Ervin and British Olympian James Guy.
Mallory Weggemann represented Team USA at the 2012 and 2016 Paralympics. She won the gold medal in the S8 50 free at the 2012 London Paralympics and also a bronze in the 4×100 medley relay 34 points at those Games.
Weggemann did not reach the podium in 2016 but the 29-year-old hopes she can make her third team in two years for the 2020 Tokyo Games.
Our home town hero #mnswim