Alex Morgan: Navigating her professional soccer career during and post pregnancy
Alex Morgan’s return to play plan is listening to her body.
The Just Women’s Sports podcast surprised Alex Morgan fans on Friday with a bonus episode diving deeper into a behind the scenes look at the challenges she went through and continues to go through handling the effects of pregnancy on her professional soccer career.
When Alex Morgan got the news that she was pregnant, she not only had to prepare for the big life changes that accompany starting a family and raising a newborn, but she also faced a fast-approaching date with the Olympics that she had every intention of attending.
Yet as she researched and asked around for advice there seemed to be no conclusive answer as to how she should structure her training during and after pregnancy to give herself a fighting chance at the Olympics. With every woman’s body handling the stress of pregnancy differently, she faced a daunting trial and error process.
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The news that the Olympics were postponed was devastating to athletes around the world, but for Alex Morgan, she mostly felt relief. Relief that the baby could come on its own terms. Relief that she could recover properly and listen to her body instead of forcing a rushed recovery.
As it turned out, baby Charlie arrived 10 days late, and with the Olympics over a year away, Alex Morgan could just relax and be thankful for the birth of a healthy baby girl.
Alex Morgan will always be known as one of the best soccer players in the world, but the grueling process of whipping her body back into USWNT level shape while raising a newborn baby is perhaps equally impressive if not more so.
She’s not the first to take on this challenge and she won’t be the last, but she joins a list of women that should be celebrated for more reasons than their ability to lead a nation to victory on the soccer field.
Just Women’s Sports does a great job bringing to light the human behind the professional athlete in a way that makes them more relatable. Beyond the trophies, accolades, and goals scored is a mother trying to navigate her career and family life like so many others have had to do.
dark. Next. Alex Morgan: Her journey to the top
The determination and work ethic Alex Morgan has shown throughout her career leads me to believe she’ll be back leading the USWNT to victory next year, and this time it will be with little Charlie in a USWNT onesie in the stands.