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Team USA soccer player Mallory Swanson’s parents, Karen and Horace Pugh, were elite athletes in their own right. Mallory’s mom, Karen, was a marathon runner, while her dad, Horace, ran track.
While her parents understood the life of an athlete, Mallory, who scored the winning goal August 10 in the U.S. Women’s National Team’s 1-0 gold medal victory over Brazil, did not exactly get sympathy from her mom and dad after training sessions. During a 2019 recorded call with Nike, Mallory and her father discussed some of the tough love she experienced growing up.
“I remember, there were some times when you guys [Mallory and her sister Brianna] would have a really hard practice and we were like, ‘You’re crying to the wrong two people.’ Because [your] Mom was a marathon runner, and I ran track,” Horace explained. “So, it was kinda like my warmup was horrible and I would puke after my warmup and then have to have a whole other two hours of track practice.
“Yeah, there was no sympathy from mom and I,” he said. “We were just kinda like, if this is what you guys wanna do and if this is the level you wanna do it at – then just do it.”
Absolute SCENES from all over the stadium as the crowd goes WILD for Mallory Swanson’s goal! 🇺🇸
#ParisOlympics 📺: NBC and Peacock
Former USA Goalie Brianna Scurry on Mallory Swanson & Other Black USWNT Players: ‘Representation Matters to Them’
Mallory is one of several women of color on the USWNT. The star is one-third of the self-titled “Triple Espresso” trio along with Trinity Rodman and Sophia Smith. Former U.S. goalkeeper Brianna Scurry spoke about how Mallory and other USWNT players could help increase opportunities for Black people in soccer.
“I think the most refreshing thing about those three women in particular — and I’m sure Sophia Smith and Trinity Rodman and Mal Pugh [now Swanson] and all these other great players are similar — is the head on their shoulders that they have,” Scurry told Andscape’s Tamerra Griffin in a July 14, 2022, feature article titled “Black Women Are Balling Out, Making Their Impact on the U.S. National Soccer Team.”
“I mean, these women are fantastic people and their thought process about who they are, what they’re doing, why they’re doing it, how they’re doing it — how and why representation matters to them — [is] way ahead of where I was at their age.”
Mallory Swanson Was Tested by Playing Soccer Against Her Older Sister, Brianna
Mallory grew up playing soccer in Denver’s suburbs against her sister, Brianna, who is five years older than Mallory. As her parents were exercising tough love, Mallory was attempting to take on her older sister on the pitch.
“It was 2v1 and I was five years younger. It was so unfair,” Mallory noted to U.S. Soccer. “But it was so good for me.”
Mallory Swanson’s Mom, Karen, on USWNT’s Journey: ‘Our Family Has Made So Many Sacrifices’
During the 2019 Women’s World Cup, Mallory’s mother, Karen, reflected on being able to watch her daughter shine for the USWNT. Mallory’s parents have a deep appreciation for the star’s journey given they both know what it takes to be an athlete. Karen labeled the experience as “a dream come true.”
“Mal has worked so hard, and our family has made so many sacrifices,” Karen told Denver 9 News during a June 11, 2019, interview. “And it’s just been a long journey for everybody.
“To finally see her at this stage [World Cup], it’s actually a dream come true, for her but also for us, too. We just hope the best for the U.S. and hope the best for Mal and it’s just really super cool.”
Thanks to Mallory’s game-winning goal in the 2024 Olympic final versus Brazil, the star adds a gold medal to being a World Cup champion.
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Mallory Swanson’s Parents, Karen & Horace, Lead Athletic Family