Swimmers Weggemann, Raleigh-Crossley Show Motherhood, Paralympic Success Can Go Hand-In-Hand

For a long time, Paralympic swimmer Mallory Weggemann felt that in order to be a successful athlete she had to pursue her swimming goals at all costs. 

Becoming a mother to Charlotte in 2023 changed that. 

“Every day she reminds me that nothing about what I do in the pool is at all costs,” said Weggemann, a four-time Paralympian and seven-time medalist from Eagan, Minnesota. “My pursuit of our goals can’t be at the cost of our values, family or my foundational love for the sport. She keeps me anchored in knowing why I do what I do and gives it all greater meaning.” 

Motherhood wasn’t always seen as compatible with being an elite athlete, but Weggemann and teammate Christie Raleigh-Crossley are two of the athlete-parents of Team USA showing that it is. 

Raleigh-Crossley, a five-time medalist in Paris, has three children. The oldest, Apribella, is now 15 years old. After becoming a mom, Raleigh-Crossley went back to college, won an NCAA Division III title in the 100-meter freestyle with Rowan University and held the 16-month-old in her arms during post-race interviews. Succeeding in a sport that requires focus and discipline isn’t always easy when also balancing the unpredictability of motherhood, especially as a solo parent with three kids, but Raleigh-Crossley found a system that works. 

“Block scheduling my calendar has been crucial to my success both as a swimmer as well as providing structure to the three tiny humans who call me mama,” Raleigh-Crossley said. “As with juggling college classes and athletics, you have to have a plan for your parental duties while also setting aside the time to sufficiently train to be the best swimmer. You wear the hat (or cap) that is for whatever is scheduled for that moment.” 

Weggemann tried the siloing approach when she returned to training after having Charlotte, keeping her identities as mom and athlete separate. It worked for a time, but prior to Paris she privately contemplated retirement. Instead, she and her husband shifted their mindsets. 

“Charlotte became the center of our path to Paris, every step of the journey anchored by family,” Weggemann said. “She came to the pool, the weight room, I stayed with her in Paris and it allowed me to bring my full self to all I was doing.” 

Weggemann competed at the 2022 U.S. Paralympics Swimming National Championships when she was six months pregnant with Charlotte. Taylor Winnett, a 2024 Paralympian who is expecting her first child in August, followed a similar playbook when she competed at the Lakeshore Para Open Series in Alabama, racing as “a human submarine,” as she put it in an Instagram post. She also plans to compete at nationals June 11-14 in events including the mile, her annual tradition. 

Navigating training while pregnant has changed over time, she said. 

“One thing I had to adapt is how often I swim and how intensely I swim,” she said. “Especially these last few weeks, it feels like I’m working harder yet getting slower. My expectations, therefore, have changed as well. I don’t focus on times anymore during practice, but on effort instead.” 

Winnett plans to return to training and competition after having her daughter, and dreams of racing in Los Angeles in 2028. One of the things that inspires her to continue pursuing her athletic goals as a mom has been seeing her teammates with their children cheering them on. 

“While I have been training while pregnant, sometimes I like to envision (my daughter) wearing some obnoxiously American outfit, ringing cow bells, while she is up in the stands during our home Games in two years,” she said. 

While Weggemann and Raleigh-Crossley have both reached the podium at some of the most prestigious Para swim meets, they both say that their children make it about more than the medals. 

Raleigh-Crossley had her three kids (Raleigh, 10, and Loughlin, 5, join their big sister) with her when she made her Paralympic debut in Paris and won five medals, including two gold. She remembers getting silver in the 50-meter freestyle S10 and feeling like she’d let them down. 

Medal-winning athletes of Team USA have the opportunity to award an Order of Ikkos medal to someone who’s been influential in their journey. Raleigh-Crossley awarded hers to Apribella. 

“Just yesterday my oldest daughter said to me that I’m the strongest person she knows,” Raleigh-Crossley said. “I thanked her for the compliment and told her that I only hope to show them that they can overcome anything life or people throw at them.” 

Weggemann shared her Order of Ikkos medal with Charlotte, who was 17 months old during the 2024 Paralympics. She said she will never forget waking up from her nap between prelims and finals, nursing Charlotte, walking to the pool as a family and winning gold in the 200-meter individual medley SM7. 

“It is my greatest desire that my daughter sees by example what it looks like to live in your truth, believe in yourself and know that you are worthy of whatever you are courageous enough to dream possible,” she said. “As a mom to a daughter, I know it is especially important to lead by example, so she knows that she is allowed to take up space in this world, and she never needs to dim her light to comfort others.” 

Karen Price is a reporter from Pittsburgh who has covered Olympic and Paralympic sports for various publications. She is a freelance contributor to USParaSwimming.org on behalf of Red Line Editorial, Inc.