Leading with Passion and Purpose: A Day in the Life of JoPro Mallory Weggemann
Take me through a day in the life of training with Mallory!
“Training looks a little different these days, I am now 26 weeks pregnant and so I am focusing on all the little things – in the pool that means feel for the water and stroke technique, in the weight room that is maintaining strength and shoulder mobility and outside of them both focusing on the sports psych aspect of sport and my nutrition. So often when we think of “training” we limit our approach to just what we physically do during a workout, but truth is all the other aspects are just as important, if not more so at times.”
What’s the first thing you do when you wake up?
“The first thing I do in the morning is sit down with Sam (our fur baby) and a cup of coffee and plan out the day. As we prepare for baby each day looks a little different and I am traveling a lot for my career outside of the pool so just working the best I can to enjoy those quiet moments in the morning to map out my day and prepare for what’s to come.”
What’s for breakfast?
“Breakfast switches up each day depending on how I am feeling, but as these colder months in Minnesota set in I am loving a bowl of oatmeal that I “dress up” a bit with a scoop of protein, a BUNCH of fresh berries, nut butter and a little drizzle of honey.”
When do you get a workout in?
“My workouts are a bit schedule dependent right now – for lifting I prefer to do that late morning as a mid-day break, for swimming I like to do it late afternoon once I have finished calls and other work so I can just unwind over the black line.”
What other projects fill your day?
“In addition to my career as a professional athlete, I am also co-CEO of a social impact agency and production studio where I am currently in the midst of post-production on our latest feature documentary and serving as the writer and co-director. I am also a motivational speaker, so I am busy traveling for events with my clients. And of course in our personal life we are busy getting ready for Little One, which is such an exciting chapter in this journey.”
What are your favorite activities for rest?
“I love to cook – so if I have the energy I like to unwind at the end of the day in the kitchen cooking dinner. Otherwise there is nothing better than some snuggles with our fur baby (yellow lab), Sam – whether it is watching a show with my husband, reading or journaling, Sam is always snuggled up with me.”
What are your go-to JOLYN styles for training?
“Right now the Dayno 3 tie-back has been my life line. As baby keeps getting bigger I don’t fit in my traditional go-to, the Perry – but nothing sizing up a size and transitioning to the Dayno 3 can’t solve “
What inspires you?
“At this stage in my career our Little One inspires me. While I have yet to meet them as we prepare for their arrival in March just knowing that all choices I make from this point moving forward aren’t just about my desires and aspirations, but about being the best version of myself for them. In December I got to race at 26 weeks pregnant with our Little One. To hover the black line and share one of my greatest loves with our Little One was such a special part of this journey. Just as they have inspired me up until this point, I have no doubt they will be my inspiration as I move forward to Paris 2024.”
What is the best advice you have for young athletes?
“If I could give one piece of advice to younger athletes it would be to lead with passion. The sport is amazing, but the biggest building block to all of it is that love and passion you have for it. There are times and seasons where the sacrifices feel like a lot, where you hit what feels like plateaus in training and racing – it is in those seasons that you need to lean on the love you have for the sport, not anchored in your performance or a singular outcome. I would also add to that and say that your now doesn’t define what’s to come – that goes for all of life, this moment or season isn’t all encompassing to who you are or what you will become. I often remind people when it comes to my swimming career that while I was a varsity swimmer all 4 years of high school I never made it to State, I thought I was done swimming after senior year season and when I was paralyzed the following year it was my love and passion for the sport that brought me back as a place to mentally and emotionally process what had happened. Nearly 15 years later here I am a 3-time Paralympian and 5-time Paralympic medalist. Moral of the story, you never know what will happen in life but when you continue to choose the lead with passion and purpose you will find yourself exactly where you are meant to be.”