Maggie Steffens is remembering her sister-in-law.
The three-time gold medalist, 31, posted an emotional tribute to her late sister-in-law Lulu Conner on Instagram on Saturday, Aug. 3, following Connor’s sudden loss of life at 26 on July 24 after coming to Paris to look at Steffens compete on the 2024 Olympic Video games.
“Dwell like Lu ☀️💕✨ I really like you, at all times collectively. Time to fly 🕊️,” the water polo Olympian wrote of Connor, who was the youthful sister of her husband Bobby Conner.
“Lulu Conner 🪽08.12.1997-07.24.2024,” she continued, together with Lulu’s start date and the date that she died.
Steffens shared three pictures alongside her message, with the primary exhibiting herself and Lulu smiling as they took a selfie collectively in a New York Metropolis road.
She defined of the picture within the caption, “Photograph 1: Marriage ceremony costume purchasing in NYC simply me and also you, CAN’T WAIT TO BE SISTERS!”
Maggie Steffens/Instagram
Steffens additionally posted a Polaroid that confirmed her posed with a big group of family and friends members in matching floral print quick units. “Photograph 2: Preparing suite 11/11 in San Juan, OFFICIALLY SISTERS! 🥰,” she wrote of the picture within the caption. Steffens married Bobby in November 2023, and the picture caption indicated the shot was taken on the marriage ceremony celebrations.
The Olympian was seen along with her household in a closing picture as they wore Crew U.S.A. T-shirts whereas supporting her on the Olympic Video games in Paris. “Photograph 3: One huge household of Steffens & Conners & extra residing like Lu 🙌🏼. Tremendous assist staff throughout this extraordinarily troublesome time 🙏🏼❤️,” she wrote of the third picture, concluding her caption.
Steffens confirmed to the Associated Press on July 28 that her sister-in-law had died following a “medical emergency.” Reps for the U.S. ladies’s water polo staff additionally confirmed Lulu’s loss of life to PEOPLE on the time.
Steffens instructed AP: “She was so excited for the Olympic Video games. We’re actually shut. She’s the sunshine of the world. She simply brings a lot pleasure to everybody. She at all times brings folks collectively.”
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She instructed the outlet that she dropped a bouquet in Lulu’s honor within the Seine River in Paris throughout the opening ceremony of the Olympics on July 26.
“My staff has been a very huge assist system for me,” Steffens added of her loss. “I’ve been clearly actually struggling, and my husband as effectively, and his whole household. I imply, it’s a nightmare, and it’s utterly surprising. However I believe simply feeling her spirit right here is, like I mentioned, it’s wonderful. And I hope that we will make her proud each single day.”
Steffens additionally spoke solely to PEOPLE on July 29 following her sister-in-law’s loss of life, describing the “pleasure” Lulu delivered to others.
“Clearly it is troublesome to speak about, particularly in the present day, however Lulu was a lightweight,” she mentioned. “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 all people she was with and to the whole lot she did.”
Though Lulu’s explanation for loss of life has not been disclosed publicly by the household, Bobby has remained in Paris together with Lulu’s family to assist Steffens as she goals for a fourth gold medal.
“And Lulu is right here. She’s right here [in Paris],” the athlete instructed PEOPLE. “And I believe that is one thing that is uniting us all and we hope to make her proud.”
