Heavily pregnant runner finishes 800m at US meet
She already has a great story to tell her first child.
Nearly eight months pregnant, Alysia Montano ran the 800m on Thursday in the US track and field championships in Sacramento.
The five-time national champion finished last, but that was small matter for the 28-year-old, ESPN reported.
The former University of California star finished in 2 minutes, 32.13 seconds — nearly 35 seconds slower than her personal best of 1:57.34 in 2010 in Monaco.
Winning was far from her mind.
Montano running in the opening round
She received a rousing ovation as she finished her first lap.
The cheering only grew louder as she crossed the finish line.
She said after the qualifying heat: “I’ve been running throughout my pregnancy and I felt really, really good during the whole process.”
She said she ran because she wanted to show that women “can be fit while pregnant, continue their career and pursue having a family”, AFP reported.
Montano told The Guardian: “That took away any fear of what the outside world might think about a woman running during her pregnancy.
“What I found out mostly was that exercising during pregnancy is actually much better for the mum and the baby.
“I did all the things I normally do, I just happened to be pregnant. This is my normal this year.”
Watch the video here
Source: ESPN, AFP, The Guardian
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