An American sprinter has just wowed by running an 800m race in the US Track and Field Championships with a baby bump. Not just any baby bump, either, as Alysia Montano is 34 weeks pregnant.
The 28-year-old, who won the 800m for four years running, trailed behind the lead pack in the race, but was cheered throughout her endeavour, and was encouraged by doctors to take part in the race.
‘I’ve been running throughout my pregnancy and I felt really, really good during the whole process. I just didn’t want to get lapped and be the first person to get lapped in the 800m,’ she told LetsRun.com.
She got advice from her midwives and her doctor before running in the race and they were all for it. ‘That took away any fear of what the outside world might think about a woman running in pregnancy or exercising in general,’ she said.**
In case you can’t watch the video right now, here’s what else she says about breaking that taboo: ‘What I found out mostly was that exercising and maintaining during pregnancy is actually much better for the mum and the baby. I just wanted to run, however I do things normally, I just happened to be pregnant. This is my normal this year.’
See, when you’re pregnant, you don’t have to give up everything, you can still go about your day-to-day. That said, you’ve got every right to slump on the sofa if you like. Mind you, that’s true even if you aren’t pregnant.
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Picture: Getty
This article originally appeared on The Debrief.