Pregnancy is a profound journey, especially for elite athletes whose lives revolve around movement, discipline, and performance. For U.S. Women’s National Team forward Megan Valzonis, it has meant learning to adapt, listen to her body, and redefine what training looks like at every stage. As part of our Motherhood in Sport campaign, Megan shares how her physical and mental approach to training has evolved through each trimester, offering a powerful, firsthand look at resilience, self-trust, and the changing landscape of motherhood in elite sport.
The biggest shift for me this pregnancy has been learning to truly listen to my body and give it the space it needs to grow our son. I aim to move every day in some way—whether it’s biking, lifting, running, walking, stretching, coaching, shooting on goal, or something else. What that movement looks like has changed with each stage of pregnancy.
First Trimester
My gym training stayed fairly consistent early on. Our head coach, David, allowed me to focus more on body management and gym work rather than efforts on the pitch. Every woman’s experience during pregnancy—especially the first trimester—is different, and I’m incredibly grateful to the USA Field Hockey staff for giving me the space to rest and recover when I needed it most.
Second Trimester
As my energy returned, I was able to continue running and gym work. Around 17 weeks, I began feeling pressure on my pelvic bone and switched to biking instead of running to reduce impact. The USPC staff has been incredibly supportive, listening to my concerns and adjusting workouts as needed.
Third Trimester
From weeks 20 to 27, my training was focused on biking and lifting. Now, at 30 weeks and 2 days, I’m still active and enjoying movement—whether it’s biking, lifting, shooting on goal, walking, or even kicking a soccer ball around with my husband.
Mental Training
Alongside the physical aspect, pregnancy has brought a new level of focus to mental training. I’ve leaned into practices like visualization, breathwork, and staying connected to my "why." Some days require more patience, more grace, and more internal motivation than others, and building that mental resilience is just as important as maintaining physical strength. This time has reminded me that the mind is a muscle too, and training it now is helping me prepare for labor, motherhood, and my eventual return to elite competition.
Photo Credit: Madelenn Tabor Long
