Maggie Steffens, Lulu Connor. PHOTO: MAGGIE STEFFENS/INSTAGRAM
Steffens' sister-in-law Lulu Connor died at age 26 after travelling to Paris for the Olympic Games
Maggie Steffens is remembering her sister-in-regulation.
The three-time gold medalist, 31, published an emotional tribute to her late sister-in-law Lulu Conner on Instagram on Saturday, Aug. 3, following Connor's surprising loss of life at 26 on July 24 after coming to Paris to watch Steffens compete on the 2024 Olympic Games.
€Live like Lu ☀️💕✨ I love you, usually together. Time to fly 🕊️,” the water polo Olympian wrote of Connor, who become the more youthful sister of her husband Bobby Conner.
"Lulu Conner 🪽08.12.1997-07.24.2024," she endured, which includes Lulu's delivery date and the date that she died.
Steffens shared three images along her message, with the first showing herself and Lulu smiling as they took a selfie together in a New York City road.
She explained of the picture inside the caption, “Photo 1: Wedding get dressed purchasing in NYC simply me and also you, CAN’T WAIT TO BE SISTERS!€
Steffens additionally published a Polaroid that showed her posed with a huge organization of buddies and own family participants in matching floral print short sets. €Photo 2: Getting prepared suite 11/eleven in San Juan, OFFICIALLY SISTERS! П,” she wrote of the image inside the caption. Steffens married Bobby in November 2023, and the photo caption indicated the shot changed into taken at the marriage celebrations.
The Olympian became visible with her circle of relatives in a final picture as they wore Team U.S.A. T-shirts even as helping her at the Olympic Games in Paris. €Photo three: One big family of Steffens & Conners & greater dwelling like Lu 🙌🏼. Super support team at some point of this extremely hard time 🙏🏼❤️,” she wrote of the 0.33 photo, concluding her caption.
Steffens showed 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 team also confirmed Lulu's demise to PEOPLE on the time.
Steffens informed AP: "She become so excited for the Olympic Games. We’re really close. She’s the light of the world. She simply brings a lot pleasure to all and sundry. She constantly brings human beings collectively."
She informed the hole that she dropped a bouquet in Lulu’s honor within the Seine River in Paris for the duration of the hole ceremony of the Olympics on July 26.
"My crew has been a honestly massive assist machine for me," Steffens introduced of her loss. "I’ve been obviously genuinely struggling, and my husband as nicely, and his complete circle of relatives. I suggest, it’s a nightmare, and it’s absolutely shocking. But I assume simply feeling her spirit here is, like I said, it’s high-quality. And I hope that we are able to make her proud each unmarried day."
Steffens additionally spoke completely to PEOPLE on July 29 following her sister-in-regulation's death, describing the "joy" Lulu delivered to others.
"Obviously it is hard to speak approximately, especially nowadays, however Lulu changed into a light," she said. "She is the Olympic spirit, and I think it truly is proven in how a lot she's here. She's so gift on the Olympics. She became someone that added joy to everybody she was with and to the whole thing she did."
Although Lulu's purpose of death has now not been disclosed publicly via the own family, Bobby has remained in Paris together with Lulu's household to guide Steffens as she aims for a fourth gold medal.
"And Lulu is right here. She's here [in Paris]," the athlete instructed PEOPLE. "And I suppose it truly is some thing it really is uniting us all and we are hoping to make her proud."/people.com
