Maggie Steffens will all the time maintain a particular place in her coronary heart for her late sister-in-law, Lulu Conner.
Lulu, Steffens’ husband Bobby Conner’s youthful sister, died at 26 following a “medical emergency” whereas in Paris to observe the U.S. water polo star compete within the 2024 Summer season Video games.
Whereas speaking to PEOPLE at the 2024 Black Music Action Coalition Gala on Thursday, Sept. 19, Steffens, 31, shared that whereas her household is “nonetheless processing all that occurred on the Olympics,” they’re decided to “honor” Lulu’s “spirit, her mild, her pleasure she introduced the world.”
“She was a go-getter, and he or she made everybody round her smile,” provides Steffens. “So Bobby and I’ve been making an attempt to reside like Lu daily and actually deal with that. On the identical time, give ourselves the area and gratitude, and kindness to attempt to mirror and course of what’s occurred as a result of we’re nonetheless in shock.”
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Steffens tells PEOPLE that being the youngest of 4 made Lulu “the little sister that I by no means obtained to have.”
Lulu Conner/Instagram
“That created a relationship that immediately felt like household. And this previous yr, my husband and I obtained married. And, after all, she regarded stunning, and he or she learn a poem at our ceremony. However my favourite reminiscence is at my bachelorette as a result of, after all, she was there,” the athlete remembers.
“She flew all the best way from New York Metropolis. Her flight obtained delayed. She missed the boat out to Catalina, the place we had been going,” continues Steffens. “By some means, [she] nonetheless made it and confirmed up in her journey gear out to the bar and able to go at, , it was her twenty sixth birthday on the time, and he or she handed at 26 as nicely.”
Clive Rose/Getty
“So I believe turning 26 for me and that vitality and positivity she introduced can be one thing I will all the time bear in mind,” she provides.
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Days after Lulu’s loss of life was introduced, Steffens honored Lulu with a touching Instagram tribute, writing, “Stay like Lu ☀️💕✨ I like you, all the time collectively. Time to fly 🕊️ Lulu Conner 🪽08.12.1997-07.24.2024.”
In a earlier interview with PEOPLE throughout the Olympics in July, Steffens stated Lulu “introduced 150% to” each enterprise.
“Clearly it is troublesome to speak about, particularly at this time, however Lulu was a light-weight,” Steffens stated in July. “She is the Olympic spirit, and I believe that is proven in how a lot she’s right here. She’s so current on the Olympics. She was any person that introduced pleasure to everyone she was with and to all the things she did.”
Steffens received a gold medal with the U.S. girls’s water polo crew throughout the 2012, 2016 and 2020 Summer season Olympics. In Paris, the crew completed fourth, behind Spain, Australia and The Netherlands.
