There are athletes, and then there are super-athletes. We want to introduce you to a couple super athletes today as we honor each and every mom for Mother's Day!
THE PROFESSIONAL ATHLETE
Crystal Dunn
Crystal Dunn is fighting for equity; the Portland Thorns soccer player is seven months pregnant, still training with her team, and busy with The Black Women's Player Collective – a non-profit she co-founded. Dunn is focused on two milestones ahead, having a healthy baby boy this summer and competing for a Women's World Cup in July of 2023.
Allyson Felix
Allyson Felix is trailblazer, literally and metaphorically, someone who sets the standard on the track and is known to break down barriers for female-athletes, specifically athletes who are also moms. While Felix is traveling and training for the Olympics, she paves the way for other athlete moms by advocating for child-care for mothers as they train.
Related: My Daily Grind: A Day in the Life of D1 Track Star, Danielle Steff
Serena Williams is on a mission to show the world that she can do all the things everyone says she can't. A tennis star from an early age, Williams has become a household name and continues to push the boundaries for tennis players, champions African-American athletes, and is a patron for the moms who juggle work, sports and their children.
Related: 5 tips on How to get Recruited to be a D1 Tennis Player
THE COLLEGE ATHLETE
Mikalia Martin
Mikalia Martin, a stand-out for The University of Houston's Track & Field team, became pregnant in her junior year at the American Athletic university. Martin was scared about her future as an athlete, but looked to Serena Williams, as they happened to be expecting at the same time, to inspire her journey forward. Martin was able to rely on her university, coaches, and family and welcomed a healthy baby girl into the world who has beared witness to her mom competing at the NCAA championship, the Olympic trials, and now at her May 2022 graduation ceremony.
Oregon softball's starting shortstop, Jasmine Williams, felt a slew of support, and some hate, from the Oregon fanbase in 2021 when she announced she would be opting out of the season due to her pregnancy. After the 2020 season was canceled due to COVID19, the world was ready for her appearance in the much anticipated 2021 season. On February 11, 2022, Williams had her triumphant return, less than one-year postpartum, with her husband and son supporting her in the stands. This season, Williams is hitting .241 on the year with a .950 fielding percentage, and she's only getting started.
Happy Mother's Day to all the cool moms out there!
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Image Credit: Twitter
* Originally published on May 8, 2022, by Caelyn Elwin
