Scenes that challenge the long-held notion that childbirth and parenting mark the endpoint of an athlete’s career are unfolding at the 2026 Milan·Cortina Winter Olympics. CNN reported on the 7th that numerous women are competing with the dual identity of ‘mother’ and ‘Olympian’, rewriting the boundaries of women’s sports careers.

Kendall Coyne Schofield, captain of the U.S. women’s ice hockey team, embodies this shift. She recalled that after announcing her pregnancy, she “received congratulations on having wrapped up a great career.” But her choice was not retirement, it was a comeback. Coyne Schofield said, “My son isn’t the reason I stopped playing hockey; he’s the reason I kept going,” adding, “Even on hard days, seeing my child gives me a reason to stand back up.”

The U.S. delegation at these Games includes six ‘mom athletes’, among them Coyne Schofield. Skeleton athlete Kelly Curtis, a mother of a two-year-old daughter, is at her second Olympics. She is also the first Black American woman to become an Olympic skeleton athlete. In bobsleigh, Elana Meyers Taylor, a mother of two sons and the most decorated Black athlete in Winter Olympic history, is chasing a sixth medal in Milan·Cortina. She gave birth to Nico in 2020, who was born with hearing loss, and to Noah in 2022, who has Down syndrome. Ahead of these Games she said, “There is light at the end of the tunnel,” adding, “I want to give hope to many parents raising children with disabilities.” In the same sport, Kaillie Humphries is traveling with her 15-month-old son as she defends her Olympic gold. Humphries, a three-time Olympic champion, told NBC, “Since becoming a mom, I’ve learned how to do it all on two hours of sleep,” adding, “Becoming a mom means gaining a new set of abilities.”

Cassie Sharpe (Canada), the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympic gold medalist in freestyle ski halfpipe, gave birth to her daughter Lou in 2023, returned the following year, and secured a berth for the Milan·Cortina Winter Olympics. French snowboarder Chloe Trespeuch also returned three months after giving birth to her son Marlo in 2024 and is contending for a medal at these Games. In an interview with the International Ski Federation (FIS), she said, “I trained my body during pregnancy as I prepared to return,” adding, “It’s hard to compete while raising a child, but imagining finishing my career with Marlo makes me happy.”

Results are already coming. Italy’s speed skater Francesca Lollobrigida maintained her form after giving birth, set a record, and took gold at a home event. She recently wrote on social media, “After the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics I had two options,” adding, “to become a mother and to compete at an Olympics hosted by my country.” She continued, “I didn’t want to give up either, and I achieved both.”

Canada’s national curling skip Rachel Homan competed at a domestic event eight months into her pregnancy and returned to the rink just a month after giving birth. She wears a necklace engraved with the initials of her three childrenLariot, Bowyn, and Briggswhen she plays. Homan told the Olympic website, “Whenever things get tough, I think of my kids.”

Sweden’s women’s curling team is made up of mothers. Skip Anna Hasselborg and second Agnes Knochenhauer each have two children, and third Sara McManus has just become a mother. The team dubbed itself the ‘Hasselborg Circus’. With five young children and family members who help care for them all traveling together, every day is a whirlwind. Hasselborg told the World Curling Federation with a laugh, “Touring with our families is complicated and chaotic, but we’re enjoying it.”

In the United States, the athlete who helped drive this change is runner Alysia Montao. In 2019, Montao revealed that her sponsorship had been suspended because of her pregnancy. The ‘#DreamMaternity’ movement spread at the time, prompting the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee to revise its policies so that athletes’ health insurance and support would be maintained during and after pregnancy and childbirth. At the Paris 2024 Olympics, a childcare facility was installed in the Athletes’ Village for the first time, and since then lactation rooms, postpartum recovery programs, and nutrition and mental-health support have been taking root in national training systems.

CNN noted, “Even so, reality remains challenging. On top of long-distance travel, high-intensity training, and competition schedules, athletes must align childcare and daily rhythms.” Athletes haul strollers alongside their gear and pack childcare supplies even on international trips. CNN added, “The Milan·Cortina Winter Olympics make clear that women’s careers in sport need not be cut short by childbirth,” and that “ ‘mom Olympians’ demonstrate they can maintain elite performance even after giving birth.”