When Mallory Swanson ruptured her patella almost exactly a year ago, on April 8 in 2023, she still believed there was a timeline to play in the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup with the U.S. women’s national team. Her body had other ideas. After a septic joint scare, and three additional surgeries, the forward slowed down her rehab and focused on getting healthy. Now, she’s back on the pitch with her NWSL club Chicago Red Stars, in the USWNT squad for the SheBelieves Cup, and in the mix to make the team for the summer’s Paris Olympics.
Still, after such a major injury, and such a difficult recovery, Swanson’s return comes with new lessons learned and a new perspective on navigating being a professional soccer player, teammate and even wife. She sat down with CBS Sports ahead of USWNT SheBelieves Cup training camp to discuss what she discovered about herself during rehab, and how she’s changed her approach to the game after the long road back.
Swanson, who is still only 25 years old, talked about how she is looking forward to reintroducing herself on the international stage and in the locker room, and how she’s not just trying to get back into playing for both club and country, but learning from the past…
