Pregnant gold medalist Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone excited for baby and future

Olympic champion Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone is making headlines for her positive and purposeful attitude towards pregnancy and motherhood.

Key Takeaways:

• Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone announced she is pregnant with her first child.

• She is scaling back her training regimen to ensure her baby's safety and health, though she does intend to return to elite competition in the future.

• McLaughlin-Levrone hopes to compete in the 2028 Olympics, and serve as an inspiration to her child.

The Details:

The gold medalist and world champion, who is pregnant with her first child with husband Andre Levrone Jr., has said she has toned down on her training intensity so that her baby takes priority, even as she is preparing for a potential return to elite competition down the line.

Announcing her pregnancy in January in an Instagram post, McLaughlin-Levrone revealed that she has “made a human with my favorite human." Since then, McLaughlin-Levrone has openly talked about tweaking her training routine, declaring that her baby’s well-being now influences every decision she makes. 

“Training definitely looks different these days, not as rigorous, but still trying to maintain some sense of normalcy on the track,” McLaughlin-Levrone said.

In the early months of her pregnancy, McLaughlin-Levrone had to combat morning sickness throughout the day. While she has overcome that stage, McLaughlin-Levrone is proceeding with her sports career more slowly than she normally would due to her baby’s health. 

“My number one goal right now is to deliver my daughter healthy, have a healthy baby in July, and then we’ll start working our way back for the Olympics,” McLaughlin-Levrone added. “But yeah, I think that’s the goal. That’s where my mind is focused, and it’s going to be a journey to get there, but I’m excited to take it one step at a time and see what we can do.” 

“Whether it’s the running, the lifting, all the different things, my body is changing in good ways. The number one most important thing is, you know, taking care of the baby’s health,” she added.

Zoom In:

Previously, McLaughlin-Levrone explained how she and her husband adopted a “calculated approach to parenthood” to juggle her desire for motherhood and her ambition to compete in the 2028 Olympics:

"We definitely had it on our radar that you only get so many considered 'off years' in track and field when there are no global championships. So that was our prayer and our hope, and... we’re grateful that, you know, we were blessed to be able to do it at... the right time and... hopefully have time to come back for... the Olympics.

I definitely have heard of what they call, you know, mom strength when you come back to the track or the field or whatever it is, and... just a different kind of... resilience. It’s gonna be a journey to get back there one step at a time."

Although McLaughlin-Levron disclosed that she initially had concerns about  whether she would come back as the same athlete or lose a step in speed after giving birth, she ultimately acknowledged, “But... I’ve also known my whole life that I wanted to be a mom, you know, and so that’s like a beautiful opportunity and journey that we’re on. And I’m going to cherish that for what it is. And it’ll bring a different type of motivation coming back to the track once we make it through this.” 

The Big Picture:

McLaughlin-Levrone can look to a strong line of mothers in track and field for inspiration, including Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and Allyson Felix.

Fraser-Pryce, in particular, faced a difficult pregnancy in 2017 and needed longer than expected to recover from a cesarean delivery, yet she still made her way back to the sport and won gold at the 2019 world championships. 

Oftentimes, pregnancy is framed by pro-abortion advocates as a threat to a woman’s freedom, career, or identity. Yet McLaughlin-Levrone’s story contests that narrative by showing that a woman can be both a mother and an elite athlete, and that her child’s presence can deepen her purpose rather than diminish it. The sports champion’s journey of motherhood reflects how she treats her preborn child as a member of the family, deserving care, attention, and love.

McLaughlin-Levrone’s language depicting her pregnancy journey exudes gratitude, responsibility, and joy at being a mother. Her realistic attitudes towards pregnancy, such as admitting the challenges associated with child-bearing, can also be considered in light of how she still does not treat her unborn child as an inconvenience or liability to her career. 

As a publicly professed Christian, McLaughlin-Levrone’s faith-centered attitude helps make sense of why she embraces her pregnancy as a gift to be welcomed, and how children are not hindrances to personal fulfillment in her view, but part of God’s plan for a rewarding life. 

The Bottom Line:

It is noteworthy that McLaughlin-Levrone is not abandoning her sports career for motherhood, but ordering it appropriately around her preborn child.

Pro-life advocates do not require that women sacrifice their careers or suppress their talents for motherhood, but instead, view welcoming new lives into the world as a noble and rewarding vocation worthy of sacrifice.