This past week, middle distance runner Alysia Montaño, ran at the 2017 USA Track & Field Outdoor Championships. While it’s not her first time participating in the competition, on this occasion she drew the attention of the public since she was wearing yellow flowers in her hair and a short black Wonder Woman t-shirt that showed her pregnant belly.
Surprising everyone in the audience, Montaño participated in the race while 5-months pregnant.
5 months pregnant, competing in track & field AND excelling.
— Ottilia Anna M (@MaS1banda) June 25, 2017
With flowers in her hair.
Alysia Montaño 🙆🏾
Magic. pic.twitter.com/MBgAjMAjO3
A bold athlete and courageous woman
At 34 weeks into her second pregnancy, Alysia Montaño decided to compete once again in the 800-meter event at the USA Track and Field Championships.
She finished last, making a time of 2 minutes, and 21.4 seconds. But that didn't stop her from making the headlines. While carrying her second child in her belly, she ran the two laps required in the competition, and she managed to finish them with a smile on her face. Her three-year-old daughter, named Linnea, was waiting for her in the crowd, sporting a "Strong Like Mom" shirt.
The runner mentions she found inspiration in the new Wonder Woman movie, telling Team USA, "When I found out that Gal Gadot filmed half the movie five months pregnant, I said, 'I for sure am signing up for USA nationals." She also commented about the similarities she shared with the character, as they are both women who fight for good, something that Montaño channels into her running.
Montaño is no stranger to success
Anyone who follows Alysia’s career is not surprised by her actions. As many fans already know, this is not her first time running while pregnant. Back in 2014, when she was 8 months pregnant with her first child, she ran in the same competition, finishing with a time of 2 minutes and 32 seconds.
While she didn’t win that race, she managed to set a notorious precedent for women in general. And since then, she has gained a lot of recognition.
As she recently told Team USA during an interview, “I represent so many different people: women, black women, pregnant women. It’s my responsibility to make sure I’m a voice and an advocate for them.”
Alysia, who was born in Queens, is set to receive the bronze medal for the 800 meters race at the 2012 Summer Olympics.
She finished in fifth place during the competition, but since the Russian women who placed before her, Elena Arzhakova and Mariya Savinoca, are being investigated for doping, Montaño could be named as the undisputed bronze winner.