This year is shaping up to be just as successful as the last for Gwen Jorgensen, who took home the gold in the women’s triathlon at the Olympics in August. She announced she is expecting her first child with husband Patrick Lemieux, due just one year after winning her first medal.
Ever the active athlete, Jorgensen is committed to staying in shape throughout her pregnancy.
“In the first trimester I was running probably 60 miles a week. That’s for sure more than I do when I’m triathlon training, but it’s the only time I felt good so I would just keep going,” she exclusively tells Us Weekly, adding that although her energy was low, running helped curb her nausea.
“Right now I’m doing about the same. I just have kind of continued that and added in a little more swimming and I’ve been doing a little more strength work as well,” she explains. “I really want to keep my core and my back and my glutes and everything strong through the pregnancy. Hopefully maintain muscle and bone and ligament strength.”
While the Red Bull–sponsored athlete has been able to keep up her running and swimming, she has had to adjust to putting down her wheels.
“I’m a little more hesitant to race on a bike because if you crash you can put your baby in a little more danger or you can start contractions early, so I don’t think it’s smart for me to do any triathlons this year, “ she says. “Maybe I’ll do a road race or two – running – but no serious competitions for me.”
While maintaining a “healthy pregnancy” is the top goal for the triathlete, who says she’s been craving foods she previously avoided, like pasta with butter and white bread, she does have her eye on the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, another incentive to keep up the work.
“Six years ago when I started the sport of triathlon, I thought that if I had a kid that I would be done and I would never get back into the sport,” she says. “There are just so many different triathletes having kids, and all of these women doing it just really puts the bug in my ear that I don’t have to give up my career if I want to have a kid. That’s something that’s been super encouraging and really eye opening.”
