Athletes discuss fertility, egg freezing, and the possibility of having it all: I can achieve it if I choose to. 2025

 Family planning has become a much less taboo subject in the world of sports, but athletes like Kaillie Humphries and Maria Sharapova believe that more open conversations need to take place regarding this important topic. The cold, sterile environment of a gynecologist's office is a far cry from the energy and focus found on a tennis court, basketball gym, or ice rink. The sight of crinkled white paper, the thin gown that leaves patients exposed and cold, and the shiny, intimidating medical instruments placed neatly on the table don’t exactly create an atmosphere that empowers women. These rooms, just like the playing fields, courts, and tracks, can carry a sense of vulnerability. What’s more, the peak of a woman’s fertility often coincides with the peak of her athletic performance. This dual challenge becomes especially difficult for female athletes who, while at the height of their physical prowess, must also ask themselves tough questions about whether or not they want to have children—and if so, when and how they might fit that into their demanding careers.

For many elite female athletes, family planning is often relegated to the background simply because there doesn’t seem to be any room for it. Olympic gold medalist Kaillie Humphries, for example, admitted in a phone interview that "there was no thought of family planning at all" when she began her career as a competitive ice skater at age 17. Female athletes, especially those competing at the Olympic level, tend to organize their lives around cycles dictated by the games, with each cycle lasting anywhere from four to twelve years. Humphries didn’t begin to seriously consider starting a family until her early thirties, a delay largely driven by the feeling that she didn’t have the option to balance both a high-performance career and motherhood.

In her sport of bobsledding, athletes are often on the road for months at a time, and there were no female role models who had managed to juggle elite competition with raising a family. Humphries turned to her male counterparts, many of whom candidly told her it was simply impossible to do both at once. This sentiment echoes a larger societal belief that women cannot have it all—something that deeply frustrates tennis legend Maria Sharapova. Despite conceiving her son without fertility assistance, Sharapova is a staunch advocate for women’s autonomy when it comes to making decisions about when and how to have children. She is invested in a company called COVERTILITY, which offers services such as in vitro fertilization and egg freezing. The company also allows women to donate half of their retrieved eggs in exchange for free fertility treatments, empowering them to make their own reproductive choices while pursuing their athletic careers. Sharapova’s involvement highlights her strong belief in supporting women in their reproductive decisions and ensuring they have the resources and support to make choices that align with their personal and professional goa

ls.