This Olympian lost health insurance while pregnant. Research shows she’s not alone

September 17, 2026

Corrections & clarifications: A previous version of this story incorrectly stated why Montaño’s Nike relationship ended. She left the company prior to becoming pregnant.

Alysia Montaño had simply had enough.

In 2014, Montaño became known as the “pregnant runner” when she competed in the USATF Outdoor Championships while eight months pregnant and became a symbol of resilience. But behind closed doors, Montaño had spent years fighting to secure maternity protections.

She witnessed brand executives and sports policies using language that equated pregnancy to injury. She heard sponsors go silent when she mentioned her desire to have a kid.

So in 2019, the Olympian co-wrote an explosive op-ed in the New York Times, in which she revealed many athletes lose their sponsorships while pregnant. Nike told her she’d lose her deal if she had a baby. While she left for Asics before becoming pregnant, she did still lose her USA Track & Field health insurance while pregnant.

The response was swift. Other athletes including track and field Olympian Allyson Felix spoke out. Nike announced a new maternity policy a few months later.

But Montaño realized the scope of the problem was even bigger. In 2020, she founded the nonprofit For All Mothers+ to advocate for better conditions for moms in sports and beyond. And now, the mother of three is launching a collective for businesses to get behind her mission.

“It really pushed us to say, this is not just an athlete problem,” Montaño told USA TODAY Sports. “This is not a sports industry problem. This is a widespread social issue.” Central Oregon daily News