Maddie Musselman Woepse. 2x Olympic Gold Medalist & The Patrick Woepse Foundation.
Maddie Musselman Woepse has an incredible story; complete with the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. Through it all her passion, positivity, composure and resilience absolutely shines through. Truly amazing.
Maddie’s path to becoming a three time Olympic athlete, a two time gold medalist, Olympic MVP and one of the most decorated athletes in women’s water polo. Her accomplishments are based on those very same traits… and she talks about her incredible journey.
Maddie met her match in another “hard charger” in her husband Patrick Woepse. Patrick was a celebrated collegiate 2x NCAA water polo champ who went on to swim both the Catalina Channel and the English Channel. The latter crossing was completed with an incredible group of friends, great conditions and “with a cough.” Shortly after completing that swim that cough was diagnosed as NUT Carcinoma cancer, which sadly took his life after battling for 13 months; at only 31 years old.
The story of Pat’s fight, with Maddie by his side, while training for her third Olympics is a chicken skin memoir. Today, Pat’s legacy is vibrant and clearly embodied in the Patrick Woepse Foundation which is focusing on helping others with NUT Carcinoma and operating under Pat’s mantra of “We Can Do Hard Things.” Maddie continues to be a positive and inspirational force in so many ways, to so many people, and is an incredible example of living, and leading by Pat’s mantra… every day.
Time: 1:13
First Olympics
Time: 1:19
English Channel
Time: 1:16
Marriage
Time: 1:19
Foundation
0:00 – Mark Welcomes Maddie Wepsy and Introduces Her Athletic Journey
2:16 – Discussing the Impact of Growing Up in Newport Beach
4:34 – Reflecting on Athletic Accolades and Humility
7:02 – Early Family Life on Port Tiffin Place
8:35 – Killer Whales vs. Dolphins: Childhood Swim Rivalries
10:27 – The Realities of Hard Work Behind Athletic Success
13:20 – Making the U.S. National Water Polo Team at 15
17:47 – Overcoming Challenges and Learning From Hard Times
22:03 – Writing “Olympic Water Polo Player” in Sixth Grade
24:01 – Influential Coaches and Building Lifelong Relationships
26:40 – Choosing UCLA and Following in Her Sister’s Footsteps
36:11 – Making the 2016 Olympic Team and Training Details
39:58 – Winning Gold at the 2016 Rio Olympics at 18
44:16 – COVID-19 Disruption and Training for Tokyo 2020
49:08 – Meeting Patrick Wepsy, Their Relationship, and His Diagnosis
57:31 – Patrick’s Channel Swims and Adventures
1:03:00 – Getting Married and Navigating Cancer and Olympic Training
1:14:24 – Carrying on Patrick’s Legacy With the Foundation
1:21:40 – The Patrick Wepsy Memorial Swim Event
1:27:03 – Coping With Grief and Looking Toward the Future
1:33:41 – How Personal Experiences Are Shaping Maddie’s Path in Healthcare and Beyond
1:35:12 – Closing Words and Looking Forward