Malkamaki’s athletic journey has been as much about mental development as it has about the physical aspect of her sport. The 23-year-old competed against able-bodied athletes most of her life, and she was a shot putter for DePaul University as a Division I athlete. Then, she started throwing shot in para athletics and instantly became a star, setting world records from the jump. She grappled with switching from her role as a D1 shot putter, where she said she wasn’t the best on her team, to then going to para meets and being the best in the world.
Malkamaki struggled to amp herself up for para competitions and didn’t know how to navigate at first when not wearing the DePaul uniform. However, she learned how to build a strong identity as an athlete no matter who she was competing against, and from there, she blossomed.
“The advice I would give to any young para athlete debating going both an able-bodied route and para sport route, is definitely do it,” Malkamaki said. “It is one of the hardest things I have ever done, but I grew so much as an athlete and got to know myself so much on a deeper level. The more work you can do to solidify your identity as an athlete will be helpful. When I was able to break the world record at trials it felt great; it felt like what I had hoped it would.”
Malkamaki admitted it’s both good and bad she’s seen as the favorite for gold heading into the Paris Games. She has had the opportunity to take more risks in her training, but there is a different kind of pressure as the world record holder who is expected to win gold for Team USA. The Paralympics start Aug. 28.
