Maggie Steffens Displays On Late Sister-In-Regulation Lulu’s Loss of life (Unique)

Maggie Steffens will at all times maintain a particular place in her coronary heart for her late sister-in-law, Lulu Conner.

Lulu, Steffens’ husband Bobby Conner’s youthful sister, died at 26 following a “medical emergency” whereas in Paris to observe the U.S. water polo star compete within the 2024 Summer time Video games.

Whereas chatting with PEOPLE on the 2024 Black Music Motion Coalition Gala on Thursday, Sept. 19, Steffens, 31, shared that whereas her household is “nonetheless processing all that occurred on the Olympics,” they’re decided to “honor” Lulu’s “spirit, her mild, her pleasure she introduced the world.”

“She was a go-getter, and she or he made everybody round her smile,” provides Steffens. “So Bobby and I’ve been attempting to reside like Lu day by day and actually concentrate on that. On the identical time, give ourselves the house and gratitude, and kindness to attempt to mirror and course of what’s occurred as a result of we’re nonetheless in shock.”

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Steffens tells PEOPLE that being the youngest of 4 made Lulu “the little sister that I by no means obtained to have.”

“That created a relationship that immediately felt like household. And this previous 12 months, my husband and I obtained married. And, in fact, she regarded lovely, and she or he learn a poem at our ceremony. However my favourite reminiscence is at my bachelorette as a result of, in fact, she was there,” the athlete recollects.

“She flew all the best way from New York Metropolis. Her flight obtained delayed. She missed the boat out to Catalina, the place we had been going,” continues Steffens. “By some means, [she] nonetheless made it and confirmed up in her journey gear out to the bar and able to go at, you recognize, it was her twenty sixth birthday on the time, and she or he handed at 26 as effectively.”

“So I believe turning 26 for me and that power and positivity she introduced will likely be one thing I am going to at all times keep in mind,” she provides.

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Days after Lulu’s dying was introduced, Steffens honored Lulu with a touching Instagram tribute, writing, “Reside like Lu ☀️💕✨ I really like you, at all times collectively. Time to fly 🕊️ Lulu Conner 🪽08.12.1997-07.24.2024.”

In a earlier interview with PEOPLE in the course of the Olympics in July, Steffens mentioned Lulu “introduced 150% to” each enterprise.

“Clearly it is troublesome to speak about, particularly at this time, however Lulu was a lightweight,” Steffens mentioned in July. “She is the Olympic spirit, and I believe that is proven in how a lot she’s right here. She’s so current on the Olympics. She was someone that introduced pleasure to all people she was with and to every part she did.”

Steffens gained a gold medal with the U.S. girls’s water polo crew in the course of the 2012, 2016 and 2020 Summer time Olympics. In Paris, the crew completed fourth, behind Spain, Australia and The Netherlands.