The MOMentum Blog

Where athlete stories meet expert insights

Welcome!

What gets reported about athletes and pregnancy is usually a small slice: a headline, a quote, a return-to-sport timeline. The decisions, trade-offs, and complications behind it tend to stay in private conversations between athletes.

We’re giving athletes a place to share their experiences in their own words, including the wins, setbacks, and workarounds that never make the news. Alongside them, researchers, clinicians, lawyers, and other experts share what the evidence says and where the gaps still are.

And there’s no paywall! Whether you’re on a national team, just starting out, or thinking about kids someday, this is for you. We link to original research wherever we can, so you can dig deeper yourself.

What you’ll find here

No paywall! 01 Athlete Stories Real experiences from elite athletes, in their own words. Read the stories →
Coming soon 02 Research and Expert Insights Evidence, expertise, and perspectives that help us better understand pregnancy, parenthood, reproduction, and sport.

Our Featured Posts

Partnership

MOMentum x Laurentian University

Our first academic partnership!

MOMentum is proud to be a community partner with Dr. Kerry McGannon at Laurentian University, working together to co-create and bring forward the stories of athlete mothers.

Dr. McGannon’s research focuses on media and athlete motherhood, revealing the need for more nuanced, authentic, and diverse representations of what it means to be an athlete and a mother.

To help bring these stories forward, Dr. McGannon applied for (and won!) an internal SSHRC Exchange Grant, supporting a project that brings together Laurentian PhD student and MOMentum co-founder Jill Moffatt with athlete mothers to co-create stories about their experiences.

Part 1 Malindi Elmore on athlete motherhood A three-part series, out now →
Part 2 Coming soon
Part 3 Coming soon
Part 4 Coming soon

We’re looking for athlete stories and expert insights!

SUBMIT
01 · Athletes and the sport community Athlete stories Athletes, coaches, support staff, and others in Canadian sport: share your experience in your own words. Send something you’ve written, or just an idea. You don’t need to be a writer. Share your story →
Coming soon 02 · Researchers and experts Expert insights Scholars, clinicians, lawyers, and other experts: share what the evidence says and where the gaps still are. Specific guidelines for scholars interested in knowledge translation are on the way.

Not sure which fits? Email info@momentumcan.ca.

The details

Everything you need to know before you share

01 Two ways to share +

Send something you’ve already written. We recommend 800 to 1,200 words for stories, essays, and reflections, and 600 to 1,000 for shorter commentary. These are guidelines, not strict limits, and it doesn’t need to be perfect.

Or pitch us an idea. A paragraph is enough. Tell us:

  • What do you want to write about?
  • Why is it important to you?
  • What do you hope readers will take away?
  • A working title, if you have one.
02 What we’re looking for +
  • Personal stories or essays on fertility, pregnancy, postpartum, parenting, family planning, or balancing sport and family
  • Reflections on a decision, challenge, transition, or moment in your sporting career
  • Op-eds on an issue the sport community needs to talk about
  • Perspectives from coaches, practitioners, support staff, and sport leaders
  • Practical lessons that could help another athlete, parent, or coach
  • Stories about what needs to change in policies, culture, funding, or sponsorship
  • Something we haven’t thought of yet

Your story doesn’t need a happy ending. Uncertainty, frustration, grief, joy, and everything in between all matter.

03 Not confident in your writing? +

That’s okay. You bring the experience, and the MOMentum team can help with:

  • Developing an idea into a story
  • Finding a structure that works
  • Editing for clarity and flow
  • Identifying the key message you want readers to take away
  • Working through drafts with you

We’ll work with you, not write over you. You’ll always review and approve the final version before it’s published.

04 Submission guidelines +
  • Write in your own voice. We’re looking for real voices and honest reflections, not polished media or academic writing.
  • Link to sources. If you reference research, statistics, or reports, hyperlink them where you can. No formal citation format needed.
  • Help readers find you. Include your website, Instagram, LinkedIn, or organization if you’d like us to link to them.
  • Be thoughtful about privacy. Only share what you’re comfortable making public, and avoid private details about other people without their permission.
  • Different experiences are welcome. There’s no single right story. Contributions should be respectful and consistent with MOMentum’s values of inclusion, respect, and care.
  • You don’t have to get it perfect. A finished piece, a rough draft, or just an idea is all fine.
05 Photos and other media +

Stories don’t have to be words alone. Training photos, family photos, artwork, or screenshots all help tell a story.

Please only send images you have permission to share publicly. If someone else took the photo, tell us who, so we can credit them.

06 What happens next +

A member of the MOMentum team will review your story or pitch. If we’re interested, we’ll connect with you about next steps.

Your idea → Our conversation → Editing and collaboration → Your approval → Publication

Once published, your story may also be shared on MOMentum’s social media channels. If you’d prefer to publish anonymously or use a first name only, let us know when you submit.