Any woman who's been pregnant will tell you how challenging it can be to do normal, everyday things while carrying a child.
And so it's little surprise that the world has reacted dramatically after a world-class heptathlete (that's a track and field athlete who participates in seven different events) revealed that she was 18 weeks pregnant — and she did so the night before competing in a big event.
She announced her pregnancy the night before the U.S. Olympic Track and Field Finals, along with a collage showing her baby bump.
Flach made the announcement knowing there'd be no way to hide that baby bump at the event.
While Flach didn't compete for the podium, she gave an impressive showing. After competing in six of the seven events, she stepped off the track midway through the seventh in order to keep her and her baby safe.
It seems almost unheard of to compete in top-flight athletics while more than four months pregnant, but Flach pulled it off. The reaction on Twitter was almost immediate.
I mean, no one expects pregnant women to be able to compete in these big events, but the fact that one did is truly remarkable.
While Flach told Yahoo! that she's received a bit of negative feedback, the reaction online was mostly positive.
"I had about 12 weeks of bad vomiting, which affected my training," she said. "If the Olympic Trials were three weeks ago, I don't know that I would have been there, but I started to feel better and I was able to get some really good practices in."
Let us know your thoughts on this incredible story in the comments section. If you were 18 weeks pregnant, what's the biggest athletic feat you could pull off?
