韩裔美国高尔夫球手魏圣美(Michelle Wie West)想过,等到自己当了妈妈就退役。后来,她的女儿出生了。
魏圣美在13岁的时候以职业球员的身份首次参加大满贯赛事。今年6月,在新冠疫情期间,她的女儿出生了。一年前,她结束了最后一场锦标赛,然后因为伤病宣布退役。
女儿出生这件家里的大事,从两个方面改变了她对未来运动生涯的看法。一方面,魏圣美提到自己手腕上的伤病说:“我和丈夫决定要孩子的时候,我一直担心我的身体会再次让我失望。我对自己的身体状况没有多少信心。但我度过了健康的妊娠期和分娩,顺利生下了一个非常健康的宝宝,这让我重新对自己的身体充满了敬意。”
其次,魏圣美补充说,抚养自己的女儿,激励着她继续自己的运动生涯。她说:“在发现我要有女儿之后,我对自己的职业生涯和整个人生的态度都发生了翻天覆地的变化。现在我的目标是:我希望向女儿证明,我有能力以最好的状态参加比赛。现在,我希望自己在高尔夫职业生涯中取得的任何成绩,实际上都是为了我的女儿。”
魏圣美未来还有运动以外的其他事业;她参与了许多项目,包括尝试创业投资。她的第一笔投资是健身品牌Tonal,最近的一笔投资是饮料品牌Oxigen。
魏圣美接受《财富》杂志采访,谈论了她作为投资人的目标、未来的高尔夫职业规划,以及作为新晋妈妈的体验。本采访内容经过编辑和精简。
《财富》:作为投资人,您对哪些项目感兴趣?您最初投资的两家公司有哪些吸引您的地方?
魏圣美:健康和生活方式是我生活中重要的一部分。作为运动员,我经常搜索有哪些东西能够帮助我提高竞技水平或效率,以打出更精彩的比赛。
从我怀孕到现在生下宝宝,效率当然变得更重要。时间非常宝贵。以前作为运动员,我一直坚信时间非常宝贵,现在当了妈妈,时间变得更重要。我没有时间浪费,但我还是在尝试训练,努力打出更高水准的比赛,同时进行手腕康复训练。我在想方设法提升自己的状态。
您怀孕生子和在疫情期间晋升妈妈是一种什么体验?
太可怕了。你的孩子面临很高的风险,这更让人觉得孤立无援。不过我们很幸运,因为我们全家在一起隔离,所以孩子可以见到祖父母。但在怀孕期间无法跟朋友聚会,无法给孩子举行洗礼仪式,这些傻乎乎的小事实际上并不重要。但回过头去看,却让人有一种与世隔绝的感受。
但我非常幸运。医院里的医护人员太棒了。我们连续四天无法离开病房。我非常害怕分娩的时候得戴口罩,但让我开心的是我不需要这样做。我大部分时间都很高兴,因为我感觉自己很安全。
您现在通常的日程安排和生活方式是怎样的?您在参与这些项目,接受某种程度的隔离,还是陪女儿?
我要参加大量Zoom会议。我的日程总是安排地很满。我在做运动员期间,还在坚持上学。我总是会同时做几件事。这是我做事情的风格。但现在,我的生活几乎完全取决于孩子睡觉的时间。我女儿有四个月睡眠倒退,这段时间她从来不睡午觉。我现在正看着她呢,希望她回去睡觉。
您开始与Oxigen有越来越多的合作。这个饮料品牌的口号是“恢复和崛起”。您受伤的经历对您投资Oxigen的想法有哪些影响?
自从受伤之后,我有许多年一直觉得状态不佳。我更需要的是一种整体康复策略。我有时候对饮食等方面超级严格。现在我采取的是一种综合性的方法,保证摄入体内的都是健康的食物。
作为运动员,您对自己的身体以及它的能力的认识,因为女儿的出生和成为新晋妈妈发生了哪些改变,或者受到了怎样的影响?
我非常尊重我的身体。 [手腕受伤之后]有一段时间,我无法原谅我的身体,我对它非常失望。
我和丈夫决定要孩子的时候,我一直担心我的身体会再次让我失望。我对自己的身体状况没有多少信心。但我度过了健康的妊娠期和分娩,顺利生下了一个非常健康的宝宝,这让我重新对自己的身体充满了敬意。我的感受是:“哇,我真的是把女儿从几个细胞养成一个健康的婴儿。”这让我特别兴奋,这个过程太酷了。我非常非常尊重我的身体。
您感觉体育届如何对待怀孕生子之后想要重返赛场的女性运动员?您认为业内有哪些好的措施,或者您认为高尔夫领域还应该做些什么?
我认为最近有许多对女性运动员非常有利的变化。以前女性并没有这么好的处境。最近,我们的组织推动的几项措施得到了怀孕的和已为人母的球手们的支持。她们高呼:“这是不对的。”
她们最近更换了孕妇穿的比赛服,而且球员在怀孕期间,可以按照自己的意愿参加比赛,并不会对你的排名产生负面影响。在子女出生之后,你还有两年时间能够选择复出。如果你说,在孩子出生后的前两年“我不想比赛了”,你可以选择这样做,但以前女性并没有这样的待遇。即使赞助商对于这种事情也变得更宽容。我们的组织以及其他领域是否还有更多地方需要改进?是的。但我认为我们正在朝着正确的方向前进。
您认为还有哪些领域需要进一步完善,才能带来真正的改变?
我们的巡回赛提供日托,可以帮助我们照看孩子。我丈夫所在的组织也为我们提供了日托服务。但一些商界的朋友跟我分享过她们的情况。我一直以为日托是免费的。我一直以为这是公司提供的福利的一部分。有些公司确实提供日托。但日托的价格昂贵,所以我的朋友们说她们往往需要找第二份工作来承担日托的费用。这迫使她们必须在照看孩子与上班之间二选一。
我希望可以通过一些措施,让她们不必做出选择。我们不希望被迫做出任何决定。体育组织确实做出了很多重要的改变,让我们的生活变得更好、更轻松。我希望看到其他领域的组织也能够行动起来。
在您的职业生涯中,您认为相比男子比赛,女子巡回赛是否正在引起更多的关注?
在网球界,男子和女子比赛的关注度有天壤之别。高尔夫球也是如此,但我们确实得到了更多的媒体报道。我们每天可以参加的比赛越来越多。我们的收入也越来越高。我们的处境确实有了很大的改善,但这意味着我们正在缩小与男性的差距吗?可能并没有,但这是一场艰难的战斗。
要获得更多的关注,要让媒体增加报道,这是一个漫长的过程。男女之间的差距不会在一夜之间缩小。但我们正在进步,我们不能对此视而不见。
您有没有考虑过未来几十年的职业规划?有没有让您敬佩的其他运动员在商业和投资领域开创了自己的事业?
运动员的传统发展路径是找到赞助商。我与赞助商建立了密切的长期合作关系。但现在,我看到越来越多的运动员开始真正参与投资他们信任的公司,或许这些公司的营销预算不足以赞助一名运动员。
塞雷娜•威廉姆斯进行了多笔投资。斯蒂芬•库里也有很多投资项目。德雷蒙德•格林的投资项目也很酷。我是投资界的新人,但学习的过程很有趣。
您去年说过还想完成很多事情,您特别提到了您的高尔夫球运动生涯。当时的话现在对于您的运动生涯和其他事业意味着什么?
现在的情况当然已经发生了改变。以前,我的伤病只会让我感到沮丧。我低头看着高尔夫球,会感到害怕。这样的心情非常痛苦。于是我离开了这项运动。
当然有人对我的决定提出了质疑。在高尔夫球赛场上,我还有很多目标没有达成。我并不是因为觉得自己已经功成名就才选择退役,而是因为我的身体让我无法继续下去。后来我怀孕了。
我一直打算只要怀孕就退役。我与凯里•沃尔什•詹宁斯一起拍摄了[现在已经不复存在的Quibi节目《以铁磨铁》(Iron Sharpens Iron)]。她有三个可爱的孩子,但她在赛场上一直表现出最佳的竞技状态。我们聊了她如何保持状态,谈到了参加巡回赛的其他妈妈们,讨论了她们的表现以及如何在各个方面达到平衡。
然后在发现我要有女儿之后,我对自己的职业生涯和整个人生的态度都发生了翻天覆地的变化。现在我的目标是:我希望向女儿证明,我有能力以最好的状态参加比赛。我可以给她看以前的媒体报道,也能够给她看以前的YouTube视频,但亲眼看到我为自己热爱的事业努力训练,将是一种截然不同的感受。因为我希望未来某一天,她也可以投身到自己热爱的事业当中。现在,我希望自己在高尔夫职业生涯中取得的任何成绩,实际上都是为了我的女儿。
您曾经在几个月前告诉《纽约时报》,您会密切关注未来几个月的疫情,以决定是否重返赛场。您对现在的疫情有什么看法?
我希望在年前打一场锦标赛。我们一直在努力训练,虽然我还无法做高强度训练,但我一直在努力利用空闲时间练习。但实话实说,我以为带着女儿一起参加比赛,会让我更安心。但现在我不太确定。我需要每天评估现在的情况是否安全。我真心希望情况能有所好转。我是个乐天派,所以我真的希望医学上能很快取得突破。(财富中文网)
翻译:刘进龙
审校:汪皓
韩裔美国高尔夫球手魏圣美(Michelle Wie West)想过,等到自己当了妈妈就退役。后来,她的女儿出生了。
魏圣美在13岁的时候以职业球员的身份首次参加大满贯赛事。今年6月,在新冠疫情期间,她的女儿出生了。一年前,她结束了最后一场锦标赛,然后因为伤病宣布退役。
女儿出生这件家里的大事,从两个方面改变了她对未来运动生涯的看法。一方面,魏圣美提到自己手腕上的伤病说:“我和丈夫决定要孩子的时候,我一直担心我的身体会再次让我失望。我对自己的身体状况没有多少信心。但我度过了健康的妊娠期和分娩,顺利生下了一个非常健康的宝宝,这让我重新对自己的身体充满了敬意。”
其次,魏圣美补充说,抚养自己的女儿,激励着她继续自己的运动生涯。她说:“在发现我要有女儿之后,我对自己的职业生涯和整个人生的态度都发生了翻天覆地的变化。现在我的目标是:我希望向女儿证明,我有能力以最好的状态参加比赛。现在,我希望自己在高尔夫职业生涯中取得的任何成绩,实际上都是为了我的女儿。”
魏圣美未来还有运动以外的其他事业;她参与了许多项目,包括尝试创业投资。她的第一笔投资是健身品牌Tonal,最近的一笔投资是饮料品牌Oxigen。
魏圣美接受《财富》杂志采访,谈论了她作为投资人的目标、未来的高尔夫职业规划,以及作为新晋妈妈的体验。本采访内容经过编辑和精简。
《财富》:作为投资人,您对哪些项目感兴趣?您最初投资的两家公司有哪些吸引您的地方?
魏圣美:健康和生活方式是我生活中重要的一部分。作为运动员,我经常搜索有哪些东西能够帮助我提高竞技水平或效率,以打出更精彩的比赛。
从我怀孕到现在生下宝宝,效率当然变得更重要。时间非常宝贵。以前作为运动员,我一直坚信时间非常宝贵,现在当了妈妈,时间变得更重要。我没有时间浪费,但我还是在尝试训练,努力打出更高水准的比赛,同时进行手腕康复训练。我在想方设法提升自己的状态。
您怀孕生子和在疫情期间晋升妈妈是一种什么体验?
太可怕了。你的孩子面临很高的风险,这更让人觉得孤立无援。不过我们很幸运,因为我们全家在一起隔离,所以孩子可以见到祖父母。但在怀孕期间无法跟朋友聚会,无法给孩子举行洗礼仪式,这些傻乎乎的小事实际上并不重要。但回过头去看,却让人有一种与世隔绝的感受。
但我非常幸运。医院里的医护人员太棒了。我们连续四天无法离开病房。我非常害怕分娩的时候得戴口罩,但让我开心的是我不需要这样做。我大部分时间都很高兴,因为我感觉自己很安全。
您现在通常的日程安排和生活方式是怎样的?您在参与这些项目,接受某种程度的隔离,还是陪女儿?
我要参加大量Zoom会议。我的日程总是安排地很满。我在做运动员期间,还在坚持上学。我总是会同时做几件事。这是我做事情的风格。但现在,我的生活几乎完全取决于孩子睡觉的时间。我女儿有四个月睡眠倒退,这段时间她从来不睡午觉。我现在正看着她呢,希望她回去睡觉。
您开始与Oxigen有越来越多的合作。这个饮料品牌的口号是“恢复和崛起”。您受伤的经历对您投资Oxigen的想法有哪些影响?
自从受伤之后,我有许多年一直觉得状态不佳。我更需要的是一种整体康复策略。我有时候对饮食等方面超级严格。现在我采取的是一种综合性的方法,保证摄入体内的都是健康的食物。
作为运动员,您对自己的身体以及它的能力的认识,因为女儿的出生和成为新晋妈妈发生了哪些改变,或者受到了怎样的影响?
我非常尊重我的身体。 [手腕受伤之后]有一段时间,我无法原谅我的身体,我对它非常失望。
我和丈夫决定要孩子的时候,我一直担心我的身体会再次让我失望。我对自己的身体状况没有多少信心。但我度过了健康的妊娠期和分娩,顺利生下了一个非常健康的宝宝,这让我重新对自己的身体充满了敬意。我的感受是:“哇,我真的是把女儿从几个细胞养成一个健康的婴儿。”这让我特别兴奋,这个过程太酷了。我非常非常尊重我的身体。
您感觉体育届如何对待怀孕生子之后想要重返赛场的女性运动员?您认为业内有哪些好的措施,或者您认为高尔夫领域还应该做些什么?
我认为最近有许多对女性运动员非常有利的变化。以前女性并没有这么好的处境。最近,我们的组织推动的几项措施得到了怀孕的和已为人母的球手们的支持。她们高呼:“这是不对的。”
她们最近更换了孕妇穿的比赛服,而且球员在怀孕期间,可以按照自己的意愿参加比赛,并不会对你的排名产生负面影响。在子女出生之后,你还有两年时间能够选择复出。如果你说,在孩子出生后的前两年“我不想比赛了”,你可以选择这样做,但以前女性并没有这样的待遇。即使赞助商对于这种事情也变得更宽容。我们的组织以及其他领域是否还有更多地方需要改进?是的。但我认为我们正在朝着正确的方向前进。
您认为还有哪些领域需要进一步完善,才能带来真正的改变?
我们的巡回赛提供日托,可以帮助我们照看孩子。我丈夫所在的组织也为我们提供了日托服务。但一些商界的朋友跟我分享过她们的情况。我一直以为日托是免费的。我一直以为这是公司提供的福利的一部分。有些公司确实提供日托。但日托的价格昂贵,所以我的朋友们说她们往往需要找第二份工作来承担日托的费用。这迫使她们必须在照看孩子与上班之间二选一。
我希望可以通过一些措施,让她们不必做出选择。我们不希望被迫做出任何决定。体育组织确实做出了很多重要的改变,让我们的生活变得更好、更轻松。我希望看到其他领域的组织也能够行动起来。
在您的职业生涯中,您认为相比男子比赛,女子巡回赛是否正在引起更多的关注?
在网球界,男子和女子比赛的关注度有天壤之别。高尔夫球也是如此,但我们确实得到了更多的媒体报道。我们每天可以参加的比赛越来越多。我们的收入也越来越高。我们的处境确实有了很大的改善,但这意味着我们正在缩小与男性的差距吗?可能并没有,但这是一场艰难的战斗。
要获得更多的关注,要让媒体增加报道,这是一个漫长的过程。男女之间的差距不会在一夜之间缩小。但我们正在进步,我们不能对此视而不见。
您有没有考虑过未来几十年的职业规划?有没有让您敬佩的其他运动员在商业和投资领域开创了自己的事业?
运动员的传统发展路径是找到赞助商。我与赞助商建立了密切的长期合作关系。但现在,我看到越来越多的运动员开始真正参与投资他们信任的公司,或许这些公司的营销预算不足以赞助一名运动员。
塞雷娜•威廉姆斯进行了多笔投资。斯蒂芬•库里也有很多投资项目。德雷蒙德•格林的投资项目也很酷。我是投资界的新人,但学习的过程很有趣。
您去年说过还想完成很多事情,您特别提到了您的高尔夫球运动生涯。当时的话现在对于您的运动生涯和其他事业意味着什么?
现在的情况当然已经发生了改变。以前,我的伤病只会让我感到沮丧。我低头看着高尔夫球,会感到害怕。这样的心情非常痛苦。于是我离开了这项运动。
当然有人对我的决定提出了质疑。在高尔夫球赛场上,我还有很多目标没有达成。我并不是因为觉得自己已经功成名就才选择退役,而是因为我的身体让我无法继续下去。后来我怀孕了。
我一直打算只要怀孕就退役。我与凯里•沃尔什•詹宁斯一起拍摄了[现在已经不复存在的Quibi节目《以铁磨铁》(Iron Sharpens Iron)]。她有三个可爱的孩子,但她在赛场上一直表现出最佳的竞技状态。我们聊了她如何保持状态,谈到了参加巡回赛的其他妈妈们,讨论了她们的表现以及如何在各个方面达到平衡。
然后在发现我要有女儿之后,我对自己的职业生涯和整个人生的态度都发生了翻天覆地的变化。现在我的目标是:我希望向女儿证明,我有能力以最好的状态参加比赛。我可以给她看以前的媒体报道,也能够给她看以前的YouTube视频,但亲眼看到我为自己热爱的事业努力训练,将是一种截然不同的感受。因为我希望未来某一天,她也可以投身到自己热爱的事业当中。现在,我希望自己在高尔夫职业生涯中取得的任何成绩,实际上都是为了我的女儿。
您曾经在几个月前告诉《纽约时报》,您会密切关注未来几个月的疫情,以决定是否重返赛场。您对现在的疫情有什么看法?
我希望在年前打一场锦标赛。我们一直在努力训练,虽然我还无法做高强度训练,但我一直在努力利用空闲时间练习。但实话实说,我以为带着女儿一起参加比赛,会让我更安心。但现在我不太确定。我需要每天评估现在的情况是否安全。我真心希望情况能有所好转。我是个乐天派,所以我真的希望医学上能很快取得突破。(财富中文网)
翻译:刘进龙
审校:汪皓
Michelle Wie West thought she would retire from golf when she had children. Then, she gave birth to her daughter.
The athlete, who played her first major as a professional when she was 13 years old, welcomed daughter Makenna in June—amid the coronavirus pandemic and about a year after she played her last tournament and then stepped back from the sport owing to injury.
The family milestone changed her view of her athletic future in two important ways. First, “When my husband and I decided we wanted to have kids, I’ve always had this fear that my body was going to let me down again,” Wie West says, referencing her wrist injury. “I didn’t have a lot of faith in my body. But going through a healthy pregnancy and a healthy labor and giving birth to a very healthy child—I definitely have this newfound respect for my body.”
Second, the athlete adds that raising a girl of her own motivates her to continue her career in the sport. “When I found out that I was having a girl, my whole perspective on my career and my life completely changed. Now my goal is: I really just want to show her that I can play at the highest level,” she says. “Now, everything I want to accomplish in my golf career from now on is really for her.”
Wie West is still navigating a future beyond the course; among other projects, she is dipping her toe into startup investing. Her first investment was in the fitness brand Tonal and her latest is in the beverage brand Oxigen.
Wie West spoke to Fortune about her goals as an investor, her future in golf, and her experience as a new mother. This interview has been edited and condensed.
Fortune: What interests you as an investor? What attracted you to these two companies as you were making your first bets?
Michelle Wie West: Health and lifestyle has been a huge part of my life. Being an athlete, I’ve always searched for things that helped me to perform better at a higher level or more efficiently.
Efficiency these days has definitely taken on a premium since I’ve gotten pregnant and now have a baby. Time is so, so precious. I thought time was precious to me before as an athlete, but as a new mom, it’s just even more so. I don’t have the time to waste a minute on anything, but I’m still trying to train and still trying to perform at a higher level and do my rehab with my wrist. I’m trying to find anything that can boost my energy.
What was your experience like with pregnancy, giving birth, and becoming a new mom during the pandemic?
It’s terrifying. Your baby being very high risk is even more isolating. Thankfully, we were really lucky to quarantine together as a family so the baby was able to see the grandparents. But not being able to really hang out with your friends while you’re pregnant, not being to have a baby shower, just those little stupid, silly things that actually don’t matter—looking back, it was just really isolating.
But I was very fortunate. The doctors and the staff at the hospital were so amazing. We weren’t able to leave the room at all for four days straight. I was really scared to give birth while wearing a mask—but I was really glad that I didn’t have to do that. For the most part, I was really happy that I felt pretty safe.
What are your typical schedule and lifestyle like right now, working on these projects, still in some degree of quarantine, and with your daughter?
A lot of Zoom calls. I’ve always kept my plate pretty full. Even when I played golf, I was in school at the same time. I always had more than one thing going. That’s just how I operate. But right now my life is just really dependent on her nap times. And she’s had, like, a pretty big four-month regression where naps really don’t happen anymore. I’m watching her try to go back to sleep right now.
How has your experience with injury affected how you thought about the new investment you made in Oxigen—the beverage brand’s slogan is “recover and rise”—as you start working with the company more?
With having an injury, I spent so many years really not feeling well. I needed more of a holistic approach to wellness. Sometimes, I was super, super strict on diet and whatnot. And now I’m taking more of a holistic approach where I make sure I put really, really good ingredients in my body.
As an athlete, how has childbirth and new motherhood affected or changed how you feel about your own body and what it can do?
I just have a high respect for my body. [After my wrist injury] there was definitely a time where I was very unforgiving to my body, I was just really disappointed by my body.
When my husband and I decided we wanted to have kids, I’ve always had this fear that my body was going to let me down again. I didn’t have a lot of faith in my body. But going through a healthy pregnancy and a healthy labor and giving birth to a very healthy child—I definitely have this newfound respect for my body, where I’m like, “Wow, I actually created her from scratch, from a couple of cells.” And that just blows my mind, it completely is so cool. And I really, really just respect my body so much.
How do you feel like the sport is treating female athletes who become mothers and who want to continue playing after going through pregnancy? Do you feel like there are the right measures in place, or is there more that golf as an institution should be doing?
I think that there’s a lot of recent changes that have been made that have been so wonderful for female athletes. In the past, it wasn’t as great. Recently, there have been a couple of pushes in our organization, with pregnant players, and players who are moms who stood up for us and said, “This is not right.”
Recently, they changed the maternity wear you get—and the whole year that you’re pregnant, you can play as many times as you want and it won’t negatively affect your ranking. And you also have two years afterwards to come back. So if you say, “I don’t want to play” for the first two years of your child’s life, then you can elect to do so—whereas before that was really not the case. Even with sponsors and whatnot, it’s gotten a lot better. Can there be more improvements made—in our organization and outside of athletes? Yes. But I think we’re moving in the right direction.
What other improvements do you think would make a real difference?
Our tour has a day care, where we can leave our kids. My husband, at his organization, they have a day care for us as well. But I hear my friends who aren’t athletes—they work in the corporate world—and I always thought that day care was free. I always thought it was just part of the company. And some companies do do that. But day care is just so expensive that, a lot of times, friends say they have to get a second job to afford day care. It makes them choose between having to raise a kid or to go to work.
I just hope that there are measures put into place where they don’t have to choose. I just don’t want that decision to be forced upon us. Sports organizations are definitely making a lot of big changes, to make our lives better and to make it easier. And I would love to see nonathletic organizations take that leap.
Over your professional career, do you feel like the amount of attention given to the women’s tour compared to the men’s has improved?
With tennis, you see a huge difference. In our sport as well—we’re definitely getting more coverage. Every year, we’re getting more tournaments added to our roster. Our purses are getting bigger. Are we making that huge, huge leap where we’re really closing the gap between the men? Probably not, but it’s a hard battle to be fought.
To get more attention—more time and coverage from the networks—it’s a long process. The gap is not going to be closed overnight. But we are making progress, and we can’t lose sight of that.
Are there other athletes who have forged careers in business and investing whom you’ve admired as you’ve thought about the next few decades of your own career?
The traditional route of being an athlete was to find sponsors. I have had these amazing long-term relationships with my sponsors. But more so now I see athletes really getting involved in the process and investing in companies that they believe in—and maybe they don’t have the marketing budget to afford to pay an athlete.
Serena Williams has made a lot of investments on her side. Steph Curry has an incredible portfolio. Draymond Green as well has a really cool investment that he’s made. I’m a total newbie in this, but just really learning what the process is has been so much fun.
Last year you said there was still so much you wanted to accomplish, speaking specifically about your golf career. What does that statement mean to you now, both in the sport and outside it?
It’s definitely changed now. With my injuries—before, it was just so disheartening to me. I would look down at the golf ball and be terrified. It was just so painful. I stepped away from the game.
There were definitely doubts—there’s obviously so much I want to accomplish in my golf game. It’s not something where I stepped away because I felt accomplished; just physically, I couldn’t do it anymore. And then I got pregnant.
I always was thinking that I was going to stop playing once I got pregnant. I filmed the [now defunct Quibi show Iron Sharpens Iron] with Kerri Walsh Jennings, and she has three beautiful kids and performed at the highest level. We’ve talked about how you can do it—it’s possible—and about the mothers that we have on our tour, and seeing how well they play, and how they balance everything.
Then when I found out that I was having a girl, my whole perspective on my career and my life completely changed. Now my goal is: I really just want to show her that I can play at the highest level. I can show her old coverage, or I can show her old YouTube videos, but it’s so different when she sees it with her own eyes—me training for something that I am really passionate about. Because one day I want her to throw herself into something that she’s really passionate about. Everything I want to accomplish in my golf career from now on is really for her.
A few months ago, you told the New York Times that you were keeping your eye on how the pandemic unfolded over the next few months as you considered a return to competitive play. How are you feeling about that now?
I would love to play a tournament before the year ends. I’ve been trying to train—I haven’t been able to do much—but I’ve tried to find free time that I can to train and practice. But, honestly, I thought I would feel a lot more comfortable flying with her at this point. I’m just not sure. It’s a day-to-day evaluation of how safe I feel. But I’m really hoping that there’s a breakthrough. I’m a very positive person, so I really hope that there will be a medical breakthrough very soon.