USA Water Polo attacker Maddie Musselman ( at right with the ball ) during a game |
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sports and so , when it came time for us as their kids to play , it was enjoyable and competitive ,” she says .
Musselman says water polo has challenged her in many ways , from the time she started at 8 years old to now , at 25 . “ I am so thankful water polo is a team sport and I get to find my strengths within a group of people who I have come to trust and respect so much ,” she says .
Gilchrist says what keeps her playing , first and foremost , is that it ’ s fun . But it ’ s also incredibly demanding . “ I would argue that it is one of the toughest and hardest sports out there ,” she says . “ The game is fast paced and takes a lot of physical and mental strength . I also love the community : It ’ s a tight-knit group of wonderful people .”
Musselman and Gilchrist train with the rest of their team for a year leading up to the Olympics .
“ Everyone takes a break from … school , playing abroad , coaching , etc ., to … train in Long Beach six hours a day , six days a week . … It ’ s a full-time job ,” Gilchrist explains .
Musselman adds that they travel abroad about once a month or every other month to train with other countries that have qualified for the Olympics .
Both attackers on the team , each brings their own set of skills and personality . Gilchrist shares that , as a water polo player , Musselman is “ confident , crafty , fast [ and ] intelligent with a nasty shot , [ but ] outside of the water , she is so much more than that : She ’ s smart , driven , empathetic and kind .”
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“ Maddie is one of my best friends thanks to this sport ,” Gilchrist says . “… I ’ ve seen Maddie grow into not only one of the best water polo players in the world , but an amazing person of high character who I love dearly .”
When it comes to Gilchrist ’ s strengths in water polo , Musselman says , “ She has the vision that not many players have in the water . In my opinion , she ’ s one of the best passers in the world .”
“ Kaleigh is truly the most special teammate I have had ,” Musselman continues . “… We have experienced a multitude of memories that will stay with us for the rest of our lives , from winning gold together [ to times of ] injury , life moments and … just being supportive friends .”
OVERCOMING OBSTACLES It hasn ’ t all been easy swimming for these two . As in any life , there are challenges . Musselman must train for the toughest level of competition while being there for her husband as he goes through cancer treatment . And Gilchrist was put to the test after a near-death incident in 2019 in South Korea while celebrating the team ’ s Wold Championship victory .
“ An illegally built balcony collapsed at the nightclub we were at ,” Gilchrist recalls . “ I was on top of the balcony and fell down a story and got pinned down by the rubble . I was rushed to the emergency room and underwent surgery for a deep leg laceration in a foreign country . I woke up with …
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hundreds of stitches and torn muscles , but , fortunately , missed my nerve by millimeters . This gave me hope I could play sports again .”
After four months of healing and intense rehabilitation , she was back to playing water polo , but not without some bumps along the way .
“ The incident took a toll on my mental health , … suffering multiple panic attacks due to the PTSD ,” Gilchrist says . “ I dove into therapy and still struggle today with certain things , but now have the tools to work with these struggles . It was quite the journey and now a big part of my story . If it taught me anything , it ’ s that life can change in a blink of an eye and to live in the present with a grateful heart .”
HOMETOWN HEROES Newport Beach is meaningful to Gilchrist and Musselman because it ’ s the place where their athletic endeavors began and Olympic dreams took hold .
“ Newport is home , always has been … and hopefully will always be ,” Gilchrist says . “ This town has shaped me into the athlete and , more importantly , the person I am today . The people are some of my dearest and best friends and have supported me along this crazy journey .
“… We ’ ve been fortunate enough to be a member of the Balboa Bay Club and that club taught me how to swim and has supported me greatly through my endeavors . We [ also ] love to post up at the beach out front at 30th Street and , of
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LEFT AND MIDDLE : CATHARYN HAYNE |
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44 NEWPORTBEACHMAGAZINE . COM |