Team USA Water Polo Star Maggie Steffens' Sister-in-Law Dies After Traveling to Paris Olympics
Maggie Steffen’s family is mourning a devastating loss.
The Olympic U.S. Water Polo team captain’s sister-in-law Lulu Conner died July 23 after traveling to Paris for the Games, Maggie confirmed to the Associated Press. Lulu was 26.
According to the outlet, Maggie—who married Lulu’s brother Bobby Conner in November—shared that she and her family are still determining exactly what happened, but that she described the situation as “a medical emergency.”
“She was so excited for the Olympic Games,” Maggie told the AP of Lulu. “We’re really close. She’s the light of the world. She just brings so much joy to everyone. She always brings people together.”
E! News has reached out to Maggie’s rep and the U.S. women’s water polo team for comment but has not yet heard back.
For Maggie, who is participating in her fourth Olympics at Paris and is aiming to bring home a fourth Gold medal, she said that refocusing her energy into the Games has been a comfort in the wake of the tragedy.
“It definitely helps to play,” the 31-year-old, who scored her 58th Olympic goal in her game July 27, making her the highest scoring woman in Olympic history, added. “I’m like so out of body in a way right now. And I just keep trying to remind myself what Lulu would want and how she would be, you know, how can I embody her spirit the best. And Lulu was somebody that she gave 150% to everything she did.”
And in a sweet tribute to Lulu, Maggie dropped a bouquet of flowers into the River Seine from Team USA’s boat during the July 26 Opening Ceremony.
“It’s going to be a really hard couple weeks for all of us,” Maggie admitted to the AP. “My team has been a really big support system for me. I’ve been obviously really struggling, and my husband as well, and his entire family. It’s a nightmare, and it’s completely shocking.”
She continued, “But I think just feeling her spirit here—it’s amazing. And I hope that we can make her proud every single day.”
But as Maggie continues in her 2024 Olympic journey, she has a huge support system behind her—including in head coach Adam Krikorian, whose own brother died shortly before the 2016 Games in Rio de Janeiro.
“You just show her love and support,” Adam told the AP. “You know it’s important that she’s there for Bobby and his family as well. This is a difficult time for them, and give her some freedom to be able to spend some time with them I think is enormously important.”
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