Former Olympian says career in shambles after being accused of stealing ham, asparagus from store
Meaggan Pettipiece was a collegiate softball coach at two NCAA Division 1 schools and represented Canada at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney.
However, she says one mishap at a supermarket checkout counter has left her life in shambles.
Pettipiece, 48, was arrested in Indiana in March on theft, possession of marijuana and possession of a controlled substance after an incident at Walmart after security in the store alleged she failed to scan some $67 worth of items, including asparagus and ham, but another $176 worth of merchandise. She said she did not know the scanner did not read the items.
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The Olympic rings in the outfield during the Softball Preliminaries as Canada plays Team USA at the Blacktown Olympic Centre on Day Two of the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney on Sept. 17, 2000. (Doug Pensinger /Allsport)
When police arrived, The Chicago Tribune reported that authorities found she had three disposable vapes in her purse and two unopened packs of anti-nausea medication. The vapes were not nicotine or THC-based, and she said the medication was not hers either.
She resigned as head coach of the Valparaiso softball team days later.
The charges were later dismissed, but the headlines from the incident are having a lasting effect on her career.
"It is bittersweet," she told the National Post in Canada. "I’m happy, obviously, the charges were dismissed. The sad part is the damage it did to my career. It has changed everything in my life."
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Meaggan Pettipiece was a collegiate softball coach at two NCAA Division 1 schools and represented Canada at the 2000 Olympics in Australia. (Eakin Howard/Getty Images)
Pettipiece worried to the outlet that her attempt to clear her name was not going to have the same effect as the incident did.
"The tough thing is, how do you get out to people that you are innocent? And this damage was done for something so ridiculous," she said.
"I’m not sure of the future. For now, I’m going to stay at home and focus on my kids. I’d like to figure out which direction I’m going to go in."
Pettipiece had been the head coach since 2023. The team did not reach 10 wins in either season. She was the head coach at Akron and an assistant coach at Kent State before taking over at Valparaiso.
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Pettipiece said she will attempt to be an umpire.
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