Last week 31 year-old mother and athlete, Alysia Montano, became a real life Wonder Woman when she competed in the USA national track and field championships five months pregnant.Way to go mumma!
A wonder-ful moment
Inspired by the actress Gal Gadot, who recently revealed she was five months pregnant for most of the filming of Wonder Woman, Montano competed in the 800m track and field race last week wearing a crop top emblazoned with the iconic superhero character. Going on to finish the race in 2 minutes, 21.40 seconds. Wow!
An inspiration to her children
We were already amazed to learn that Serena Williams won the Australian Open in the early stages of her pregnancy, and Montano’s decision to race with her second bub on board is similarly inspiring others to go against the stereotypes of what women are capable of whilst pregnant – which is actually quite a lot!
The athlete also revealed it’s important for her to be a strong role model for her children who she aims to inspire and empower.
“My mission as a mother, as a daughter, as a sister, as a friend, and as a human is to always fight for good and the empowerment of others. I hope that one day my children can look at the world through a lens filled with kindness, compassion, hope, empowerment and purpose. I hope when my children think of me in their pursuits they might see me as an example of strength and not only think ‘Strong like Mom,’ but perhaps they may see their abilities and think ‘Stronger THAN Mom,'” writes Montano on her Instagram post below.
It’s not her first time
If this recent act isn’t bad ass enough, Montano actually competed in the same track and field championship race in 2014 when eight (yes eight!!) months pregnant with her now three year-old gorgeous and healthy daughter.
Racing while so heavily pregnant received mixed reviews, with many questioning how wise it was to take such a risk while so far along in her pregnancy. When asked “Why?” at the time by a man watching the race with his daughter, Montano hit back saying “because your daughter deserves a fighting chance.” Whatever your views, she has definitely opened up the conversation about women and their abilities, especially during pregnancy.
But is it safe?
Let’s face it, when pregnant most of us are feet up on the couch feeling dreadful, so to compete professionally in a gruelling athletic race seems almost impossible and completely amazing. But is it actually safe for a pregnant woman and her unborn baby?
According to certified fitness expert, Holly Perkins, it is! In fact, all of her clients reported better pregnancies because they remained active.
Each pregnancy is different
While it’s a known fact that exercise is beneficial for both mum and bub, it’s not advised to take up a new strenuous form of exercise while pregnant if your body isn’t used to it. So if you’re seven months along and thinking of suddenly running a marathon when you’ve only ever run for the bus – then this isn’t a good idea. Each pregnancy and baby is different too, so you need to listen to your body and always speak to your doctor about any exercise regimes you might be thinking of doing or any concerns you might have.
Did you continue to exercise throughout your pregnancy?
