Alex Morgan: Motherhood in a challenging Olympics
When an athlete of Alex Morgan’s caliber steps onto the field, we assess her shots on goal to goals ratio, her passing accuracy or how many times after losing the ball she fought on defense to get it back. As spectators, we expect a lot out of her and when she falls short we’re immediately disappointed.
What we don’t see are the tears she cried that morning because she found out her daughter, Charlie, wouldn’t be accompanying her to the Olympics, the isolation she felt returning to play postpartum as she had to train alone in the middle of a pandemic or the frustration she felt each time she had to take a break because her body was adjusting to once again being put through the demands of a professional athlete.
It’s often easy to forget that many of the female athletes you watch compete on international stages are also mothers. As much as they love their sport, there’s someone waiting for them at home that they would give everything to and risk everything for.
Through her TOGETHXR platform, that she founded with dominant female athletes Simone Manuel, Sue Bird and Chloe Kim, Alex Morgan partnered with AT&T to present the mini-docuseries Ready for Anything that gives you a behind-the-scenes glimpse at her life as a professional athlete and a mother heading into the Olympics.
A series like this plays an important role in bringing awareness to the complete human behind these female athletes and the sacrifices they make to be the best at their jobs.
It helps people understand that as difficult a pill it was to swallow watching the USWNT fall short of a gold medal, Morgan had to go home after living through that disappointment and handle the emotional impact of her daughter’s confused looks upon seeing her after over a month apart.
Next. Veterans lead USWNT to bronze medal. dark
Each of the four episodes in this series lasts between five to eight minutes. It’s a quick watch, but an eye-opening one. Alex Morgan’s journey is inspirational, and beyond that you get the added privilege of watching little Charlie be an adorable one-year-old — so win-win.