Cubs' Michael Conforto has a role model for staying elite - his Olympic gold medalist mother

SAN DIEGO - Chicago Cubs outfielder Michael Conforto can't remember exactly how old he was when he first held one of his mom's Olympic medals.

Tracie Ruiz-Conforto won three medals - two golds and one silver - in dual and individual synchronized swimming at the 1984 Los Angeles and 1988 Seoul Olympics as one of the most dominant athletes in her sport during that era. When her competitive career ended, Ruiz-Conforto, now 66, stayed connected to the sport by serving as an Olympic commentator until her son turned about 12.

Conforto has been able to watch a few of his mother's competition highlights over the years. One of his most prominent memories growing up was how overly positive she was with him as he got into sports, always highlighting the little things he did well while still trying to motivate him.

"She was just very competitive in everything that she did," Conforto told the Chicago Tribune. "And then once you get into school and stuff and people in your community know where you come from, it just kind of felt like I was on my way to being an athlete. That's how it was for me. I just kind of felt like that was what I was supposed to do."

Conforto's athleticism can also be traced to his dad, Michael, who played football at Penn State. His parents met in Seattle, where Michael had driven out with a roommate and teammate who was going to try out for the Seahawks.

He opened a gym and met Tracie. She had relocated from Hawaii and was training - after her synchronized swimming career, she became a competitive bodybuilder. She earned induction into the International Swimming Hall of Fame in 1993 and was a finalist for the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame in 2012.

Conforto said his parents helped him understand what it would take to achieve his dreams.

"When I would go to school, I would go to school to get grades because I needed the grades to play," Conforto said. "Everything was kind of geared toward, ‘How do I get out there and play?' And my parents made those things go hand in hand."

Conforto and his sister, Jacqueline, got into swimming as kids, though eventually Conforto narrowed his sports focus to football and baseball. If he wanted a new baseball glove or hitting lessons, his parents were willing to pay for those things if he had high grades and test scores.

"Obviously, I had to have the passion for it and had to want it in that way, so that may come from the genetics and just kind of predisposed to wanting to compete," Conforto said. "But I think it was important for me to have both parents - like my mom, she always said you have to be obsessed or you're not going to make it to that elite level. And my dad, he would echo that and just kind of push me to work harder and harder.

"Outwork everyone. You might have some talent, but you're not the most talented."

Conforto established himself as one of the top college players in the country at Oregon State, where he was a finalist for amateur player of the year in 2014. The New York Mets selected him at No. 10 in the 2014 draft.

Thirteen months later, Conforto made his big-league debut, and by the end of the 2015 season he was a starter in the Mets' World Series lineups.

"Your whole life, you're trying to achieve this dream of getting there," he said. "Then you get there quickly and then you've got to stay, you've got to be elite and you have to continue to do all those things.

"There's pressure, but at the same time, it's never been like: If you don't do this, we're not proud of you. They've been super cool the whole way. But I think when it's rooted in you as a kid, you put that pressure on yourself."

As Conforto has grown up in the majors - from the 22-year-old rookie to a 33-year-old veteran who's a father himself - he says it's fun to look back on the years and realize how maybe he thought he knew everything when in reality he was naive.

"I think for the most part," he said, "I'd do everything the same as my parents did with me."

Conforto's baseball journey led to a pregame ceremony Friday at Dodger Stadium, before the Cubs' series opener against the Dodgers, in which he received his 2025 World Series ring. Some of his former teammates presented it to Conforto as the Dodgers tried to make the moment feel special.

Although a World Series title is what every player works toward, Conforto wasn't sure how he would feel receiving a championship ring after not being on any of Los Angeles' postseason rosters last year. He described opening the box to see his name on the diamond-encrusted ring as one of the cooler moments he has experienced.

That didn't fully erase his conflicting feelings.

"It still feels like I want one that I was in there fighting side by side with those guys, so there's still a little bit of that," Conforto acknowledged. "They've always been like, ‘You were with us the whole way, you're as much a part of this as anybody,' which I know there's truth to that but also the reality.

"One of the things that I was proud of was just being able to have those relationships, be a good teammate and be there to keep their minds and be a cheerleader over there."

Conforto could have a chance to win another World Series this year in his role with the Cubs. Playing time has been limited lately with how many left-handed starters the Cubs have faced. He's prepared to help a Cubs team he believes possesses as much talent as any team to again reach the ultimate goal.

"In a lot of ways, it's a blessing to be able to work out, get really strong and stay fresh and try to mentally be ready for when your name is called," Conforto said. "I've got a lot of energy when I go out to go play."

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This story was originally published April 29, 2026 at 5:43 AM.