This Badass Soccer Star Didn't Expect to Be Practicing at 6 Months Pregnant, but "Here We Are"
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Olympic gold medalist and soccer star Sydney Leroux is taking the phrase "super mom" to a whole new level. The Orlando Pride forward is starting preseason training while six months pregnant. Leroux shared a few photos of herself participating in practice — and looking like she was totally crushing it — on Twitter.
When concerned fans — and those curious if they can play some soccer during their pregnancy — responded with questions, Leroux clarified that she is only participating in non-contact drills and is listening to her obstetrician when it comes to how far she's pushing herself in terms of intensity.
Leroux's résumé is nothing short of remarkable. At 22, she won gold as the youngest member of the US Women's National Team at the London 2012 Summer Olympics. Just three years later, she helped lead the US team to its third FIFA Women's World Cup Championship. She sat out of the 2016 regular season and the 2016 Rio Summer Olympics after becoming pregnant with her first child, Cassius, and missed part of the 2018 season after suffering a miscarriage. In October, she shared a powerful message with her fans and followers about her own experience and pregnancy loss in general.
Leroux and her husband, fellow soccer star Dom Dwyer, are expecting their second child on July 4, exactly one year after her miscarriage.
Fellow athletes and fans around the world chimed in with support, heralding her fierce choice to continue practicing the game she loves.