Paralympic Legend Jessica Long Prepares for Twins and LA28

At 12 years old, Jessica Long won her first Paralympic gold medal in Athens. Now, two decades and 18 gold medals later, she's preparing for her toughest challenge yet: motherhood to twin boys while training for the 2028 Los Angeles Games.

The Team USA Para swimmer is due to give birth this August. Instead of slowing down, she's kept swimming throughout her pregnancy, carrying an extra 30 pounds in the pool while her sons grow.

"I've given myself grace, like 'You're growing two babies, it's OK,'" Long said. "It just feels good to stretch out in the cold water. Keeping up with my exercise is the best thing for my mental health."

Long has competed in six Paralympic Games, collecting 31 total medals. When Los Angeles won the 2028 bid, she knew retirement would have to wait.

"I truthfully don't need to win another medal, right?" she shared. "I have done it all, I'm very proud of myself, but it's important to keep showing up and to keep showing up for the movement even when it's tough."

The 34-year-old athlete says being an amputee has actually prepared her for pregnancy in unexpected ways. Her doctors noted that while most women need coaching to endure pregnancy discomfort, Long barely notices the extra pain because she already walks in pain daily with her prosthetic legs.

Long always suspected she'd have twins. Born in Russia and adopted as a baby, she learned her birth mother had twins after her. "For 10 years of my life, I've been like, I'm going to have twins, I just know it," she said.

Why This Inspires

Long's journey shows how champions face every challenge with the same determination that made them great. She's following the path of athletes like Mallory Weggemann, who won Paralympic gold after giving birth to her daughter.

"I see other women doing it, and if they can do it, I can do it," Long said. "Most women that I talk to are like, 'I came back stronger after pregnancy or giving birth.'"

Her husband Lucas Winters, a former professional soccer player turned coach, jokes about whether their boys will choose swimming or soccer. They've already bought tiny soccer balls, but Long is dreaming of teaching them to love the water.

With just two years between giving birth and LA28, Long isn't fazed. "I don't know motherhood, but I know how to push through even when things are tough. That gives me some confidence."

Her ultimate dream is simple: looking up from the pool in Los Angeles to see her two-year-old sons cheering her on alongside her family.