First-Time Olympian Archer Yaylagul Ramazanova Competes While 6 1/2 Months Pregnant
In a sport that takes a lot of concentration, Yaylagul Ramazanova expresses how her baby is her “good luck charm.”
Many athletes are making names in the Paris 2024 Olympics and Azerbaijan’s archer, Yaylagul Ramazanova, cements her story in history by not just shooting a perfect “10” — she does so while 6 1/2 months pregnant! During her turn to shoot, she needed an exact and perfect “10” to beat China’s archer, An Qixuan, who many saw as the winner.
She also highlights an interesting portion during the shot: her baby’s kick. “I felt my baby kick me before I shot this last arrow. Then, I shot a 10.”
Even before they were born, Yaylagul’s baby can claim that they helped their mama win a heat in the Olympics!
“An extension of herself”
Training while pregnant is a whole different ball game. Besides coming up with a workout that doesn’t cause complications during the pregnancy, there’s also managing the stress of trying to place oneself on the podium.
But Yaylagul remained pretty cool about her pregnancy while competing. “I didn’t feel uncomfortable with my pregnancy. Instead, I felt that I was not fighting alone, but fighting together with my baby.”
Although the 34-year-old archer was eliminated in the next round, she’s earned herself some fans including the archer who is currently ranked no. 1 in the world, Team USA’s 20-year-old Casey Kaufhold. The younger archer hoped that this victory would inspire more expectant mothers, revealing that her coach was also a mother and how inspiring it was to see her “support her kids.”
“I think it’s awesome that we see more expecting mothers shooting in the Olympic Games and it’s great to have one in the sport of archery,” Casey reveals in an interview. “I think it’s awesome for this archer that one day, she can tell her kid, ‘Hey, I went to the Olympic Games and you were there, too.’”
Moms Making History in the Paris Olympics 2024
Many moms and moms-to-be see pregnancy as a delicate time. But with the advancements in Science and medicine, it’s become possible for them to still shoot for their dreams while waiting for their role of a lifetime.
For many moms or moms-to-be who were and are competitive athletes, there’s the emotional struggle to choose fame and glory as a “superhuman” or the quiet life of a mother. Some feel that it’s one or the other — a frustration that Serena Williams shared in an interview with Vogue when she “stepped away” from tennis.
But for this year, that’s about to change. Yaylagul isn’t the only expectant mom who made history in the Paris Olympics 2024. Egyptian fencer Nada Hafez also won her rounds while 7 months pregnant.
You go, moms!
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