For Maggie Stephens, captain of the USA Water Polo team, time in the pool holds special meaning and provides a sense of relaxation.
Outside of swimming, Stephens is dealing with the sudden death of his sister-in-law, Lulu Conner, 26, who died on Tuesday after traveling to Paris to cheer on Stephens at the 2024 Summer Olympics.
No details about Connor’s death have been released other than what Stephens called a “medical emergency.” Interview with The Associated Press.
Connor is the younger sister of Bobby Connor, who married Stephens in Puerto Rico last November, and is a graduate of the University of California, Davis.
Mr. Stephens paid tribute to her by throwing a small bouquet into the Seine at the opening ceremony on Friday night.
The U.S. team captain was also in the water the next day in the U.S.’ 15-6 win over Greece.
“Playing definitely helps,” said Stephens, who played nearly 22 minutes and scored two goals in the win. “Right now I feel like I’m out of my body. I’m trying to remind myself what Lulu would have wanted, what she was like and how I can best embody her spirit. Lulu was someone who gave 150 percent to everything she did.”
Steffens called his late sister-in-law “the light of the world” and said the two were close.
The American captain expressed gratitude for the support from his teammates.
2024 Paris Olympics
“It’s going to be a really tough few weeks for all of us,” she said. “My team has been a really big support to me. Obviously, it’s been a really hard time for me, my husband and his whole family. It’s been a real nightmare and it’s a real shock. But just to have her spirit here, like I said, is just wonderful and I hope that we can make her proud every day.”
Sadly, this is not the first time the U.S. women’s water polo team has suffered such a tragedy.
Head coach Adam Krikorian lost his brother to a heart attack during the 2016 Rio Olympics.
“It’s something you can never prepare for.” Krikorian told the San Francisco Chronicle. “Maggie knows my pain and grief and I have shared it with her. The pain and shock penetrates my heart.”
