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In SELF’s Wake-Up Call Series, we ask celebrities, athletes, and other notable people exactly how they rise and shine.
To say that Mallory Weggemann is having a hectic summer is a massive understatement. The swimmer is a five-time Paralympic medalist who will be returning to compete in Paris. On top of that—and during the crucial final weeks of her own training, no less—she just became the first Paralympian to host Olympic coverage for NBCU. With that much excitement, pressure, and adrenaline filling up her days, Weggemann savors the opportunity to start things slowly, nursing her 16-month-old daughter, Charlotte.
“She and I get to have that moment just the two of us laying in bed, and there’s no better way to start my day than that,” Weggemann tells SELF. “I think I’m going to miss it a lot when our breastfeeding journey ends, but for now I’m soaking it in. To have that first piece of my day start with her and me is just a really special grounding force.”
Weggemann has a few other comforting constants in her morning routine that help her feel her best. Her simple, hydrating skin care routine is essential, especially when she’s training: “I love to give my skin a drink of something that’s not chlorine before I hit the pool.” In a normal week, in which she’s swimming hard for five or six days, she also relies on “souped up” oatmeal to fuel her—a portable concoction she can assemble just about anywhere.
Below, Weggemann takes us through the specifics of her morning routine, including her skin obsessions, morning media rules, and how she takes advantage of the rare luxury (for a pro swimmer, at least) of a morning shower. As a new mom, sports broadcast host, frequent traveler, and Paralympian—don’t miss her first event on August 31!—a “typical morning” might not really exist, but these essentials always help her feel strong, confident, and prepared to take on the day.
Here she is, in her own words:
I've learned that less is more with my skin.
It’s nice to have an easy morning routine. As a mom especially, I don’t necessarily have half an hour to be in the bathroom. But I do like to have a few minutes of me time—with a system that fits my lifestyle on a daily basis. It gives a little bit of structure and consistency to the organized chaos of life.
I travel a lot for work. I’m on airplanes, I’m in different climates, I’m swimming in chlorine, so my face gets very, very, very dry. But then sometimes my skin tries to catch itself up and wants to get oily…. So it doesn’t really know what it wants to do on any given day.
I’ve really gotten into Osea; I swear, since I transitioned to their products it’s like having my own little spa in my bathroom. The Ocean Cleanser makes me look forward to washing my face every morning, and the Seabiotic Water Cream feels like heaven. The Ocean Eyes Age-Defying Eye Serum is lovely too—they’re all water themed, so very on brand for me! I’ll never ditch the SkinCeuticals Phyto Corrective Gel, though; that’s a staple in my cabinet because it helps with the redness I get from the chlorine.
With my swim schedule, I can’t always shower in the morning, but I love it when I can.
It helps me wake up and it helps to slow down the start of the day. When I was in studio for Olympics coverage and swimming later in the day, a shower was the first thing I’d do. Oribe is probably my favorite brand for hair care. They have beautiful shampoos: I alternate between Gold Lust and Bright Blonde, to protect my color.
I’m also an SPF-everyday person, though I have to admit I’m not religious about one brand or vehicle. I think that you appreciate how important it is to protect your skin more with age. And I also think I appreciate it more now being a mama—when Charlotte’s in the sun, I’m constantly putting sunscreen on her. I really like the Skinceuticals Physical Fusion UV Defense, but I’ll really use anything as long as I can get it in. It’s always part of my morning, unless I’m heading straight to the pool, since I swim inside.
I’ll bring this breakfast to the Paris Paralympics with me…. It went to Tokyo with me, it went to Rio, it went to London.
My go-to on heavy training days is a souped-up oatmeal—either hot or in an overnight form. I love the little Quaker Oats packets, because they’re so easy to travel with. I always make it with Fairlife milk because it has more protein and I’m always looking to get a big protein hit in the morning.
I also add protein powder—I love Garden of Life Whey—and some kind of nut butter to my oatmeal. Spoon Junkie makes my favorite almond butter. I found them at this farmer’s market in California, and I now buy it online and have it shipped home to Minnesota. Then I load the oatmeal up with berries, and that’s my go-to reliable breakfast. I get the nutrients that I know I need, especially on race day, and I can recreate it anywhere I am.
If I’m not racing or hitting the pool first thing…
I love just starting my day with me, Charlotte, and my husband, Jay. She and I will make these simple banana oat pancakes together—they’re literally just banana, egg, oats, cinnamon and a splash of milk in a blender, then throw ’em on the stove. We’ll put music on in the kitchen and Charlotte loves to dance; on the weekends we play jazz in our house, but we’re also loving the Trolls soundtrack right now. She’s obsessed.
Honestly, I try to not touch my phone until after we’ve gotten through breakfast and I’m heading out the door for training. I kind of stay tuned out from the world for the first part of the day because I feel like life gets so fast-paced. The minute you get on your phone, go on social media, or open emails, it just comes at you so quickly and it keeps coming until the day’s over. I think motherhood has shifted how I start my day in a lot of ways because it’s made me want to find time to slow down, and the mornings are a really great place to do it.
This interview has been edited and condensed for length and clarity.
SELF is your go-to source for all things Paralympics. Follow our coverage of the Paris Games here.
Related:
- Who and What to Watch For at the 2024 Paralympic Games
- How Jamal Hill Navigated the Hardest Year of His Athletic Career
- The Olympic Games Look A Lot More Joyful This Year—And We’re All for It
SELF is your go-to source for all things Paralympics. Follow our coverage of the Paris Games here.
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