Though the Puerto Rican Women’s Volleyball team never made it past the preliminary rounds in the 2016 Rio Olympic games, they’ve been making waves with the media as of late.
As it turns out, one of their athletes, Diana Reyes (23), competed with her teammates while pregnant! As it’s been reported, Reyes played with her team in at least one match during the 2016 Olympic games.
(Source: Twitter/@Marygr33n)
Globo Esporte reports that Reyes learned that she is four months pregnant only two days prior to leaving for Rio. She opted to go after being cleared by her coach and doctors. Despite her delicate situation, she knew she couldn’t squander the chance to compete for her country.
The Sun reports that Reyes shared the good news with her team upon arriving in Rio. Though she was not able to play in the teams first two matches, she was given a chance to play in their third and final match. As mentioned before, the Puerto Rican team didn’t win any medals during their run, though Reyes’ story is definitely noteworthy–inspiring even.
Though a rare occurrence, you may be surprised to find out that Reyes is not alone. In fact, she joins an esteemed group of other pregnant Olympians who have managed to compete even if they are in the first few months of their pregnancy. The first woman to do so was Juno Stover-Irwin, from the U.S diving team in 1952. She won a bronze medal while three and a half months pregnant, per Live Action News.
Just six years ago, in the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, three women competed while pregnant: Amelie Kober (snowboarding), Kerstin Szymkowiak (skeleton) and Kristie Moore (curling).
While it may sound like their decision to participate puts them at a competitive disadvantage, these women are quickly contesting that notion. These empowered female athletes are proving that being pregnant shouldn’t be seen as a limitation and it also changes the perception around pregnancy as a whole.
If you’d like to find out more about the history of pregnant olympians, visit page two for an incredibly informative, and inspiring video!
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