“About last night … 2017 USA Nationals with baby number two at five months
U.S. Army World Class Athlete Program runner Capt. Kelly Calway of Fort Carson, Colo., finishes second among women in the 2010 Army Ten-Miler with a time of 57 minutes, 10 seconds on Oct. 24 at the Pentagon. U.S. Army photo by Tim Hipps, FMWRC Public Affairs
pregnant. I have some pretty awesome maternity photos from both pregnancies,” said Alysia Montaño, a former Olympian, after participating in the USA Track & Field Championships.
According to People Magazine, Montaño competed in the women’s 800m with her baby bump proudly on display under a Wonder Woman-themed sports bra. The Wonder Woman-themed sports bra was planned, because as Montaño said, “I wanted Wonder Woman to represent me … When I found out [star Gal Gadot] filmed half the movie five months pregnant, I said, ‘I for sure am signing up for USA nationals.’ I don’t define myself as a runner. I really define myself as a fighter for good. And I see that playing true in running.”
In 2014, Montaño competed in the same race while eight months pregnant with her first child Linnéa. Linnéa was born a healthy 7 lbs and 15oz, even though some people had questioned how healthy that baby would be since her mother was still competing.
In another post, Montaño added, “Three years after I ran the 2014 USA Nationals at 8 months pregnant I want to echo the same message after my run at the same event this [past] week, this time pregnant with my second at 5 months pregnant. My intention is to inform and to empower.”
While Montaño has been praised as a badass woman on the move this year, she didn’t receive a glowing reception back in 2014 when she raced while eight months pregnant. People made comments saying things like, “Ridiculous – is it really worth the risk?” Or “All it takes is a misstep and down she goes.” One person even said, “Doctors gave her okay to run? Who are these doctors and how long have they been in practice?”
Montaño’s response was simple and poignant. She said, “This is what pregnancy looks like. It’s not an illness. It’s not a disease. You need to keep moving. You need to keep moving.”
Montaño is truly a Wonder Woman for both her kids and for all the little girls who watched her run that 800m while pregnant. In her third post, she said, “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.’”
Featured Image by Matt Lee on Unsplash
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