It's been a year of firsts for 20-year-old Mallory Weggemann. "It's gone from swimming and doing my thing to making the Paralympics team, to making the World's team, to breaking records," the Eagan native said.
Friday night at the University Aquatic Center, Weggemann racked up three more firsts.
She set two American Paralympics records in the 50-yard and 100-yard butterfly. She also was included, for the first time, in a final heat at a national competition.
"They have the folks with disabilities swim at the finals and that's one of the first times this has happened on a national scale meet," said Weggemann's dad Chris.
Mallory uses a wheelchair after losing all feeling in her legs. An epidural she got almost two years ago to relieve pain never wore off.
"I think I almost enjoy (swimming) more now to some aspect because it's a time when I can be out of my chair and in the water just swimming and I'm not restricted to my chair," Weggemann said.
The University of Minnesota sophomore now holds three Paralympics world records and 12 American ones.
Weggemann is preparing for a world championship meet in Brazil in late November, and for the Paralympics games in London in 2012.
In the meantime, she's breaking records, breaking barriers, and bringing her passion for swimming to a whole new level.
"As time's gone on, I realize I can still do it all," she said. "I may do it a little differently, but I can still do it."
(Copyright 2009 by KARE. All Rights Reserved.)
