A pregnant Olympian recently participated at the Rio Olympics 2016. Puerto Rican volleyball athlete Diana Reyes, 23, played with her team in at least one match inspite of her delicate condition. But she is not the first pregnant athlete to have done so in the Olympics' entire history.
Globo Esporte reports that Reyes learned that she is four months in the family way just two days prior to leaving for the Rio Olympics 2016. She opted to go after getting an all-clear from her coach and doctors, in her desire to not waste the opportunity.
The Sun reports that Reyes told her team about the pregnancy while they were already in Rio. She was not able to play their first two matches, but was given a chance to be in the game in their third and final match. Though Reyes was able to participate in the Olympic Games, Puerto Rico's volleyball team didn't win any medals.
This is cool. Puerto Rican Olympic volleyball player, Diana Reyes, is taking to the court four months pregnant! pic.twitter.com/HkoFYJAf5Y
— Marygreen Manor (@Marygr33n) August 11, 2016
Reyes 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.
In 2010, the Olympics saw the most number of pregnant Olympians compete in tough sports and even ended up winning medals. Among these women were Amelie Kober (snowboarding), Kerstin Szymkowiak (skeleton) and Kristie Moore (curling). Get to know all these amazing pregnant Olympians in the video below.
These women are proving that being pregnant shouldn't be seen as a limitation and it also changes the perception around pregnancy. However, Diana Reyes' is a different case as Rio Olympics 2016 has been threatened by Zika virus, which largely affects pregnant women's fetus.
Romper reports that Rio Olympics 2016 athletes are constantly being visited by doctors for check-ups as a matter of prevention. So far, there are no reported cases of Zika infection among the athletes since the Olympic events started.
