Sanya Richards-Ross on Her Abortion Before Beijing Olympics: 'Everything I Ever Wanted Seemed to be Within Reach'
In her new book Chasing Grace, athlete, Sanya Richards-Ross revealed that she had an abortion before competing in the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
When competing that year, Richards-Ross, 32, won a bronze medal in the 400-meter race. She also took home a gold medal as a member of the 4x400 relay race team.
Richards-Ross said that 2009 was her strongest years as a competing runner. Before the competition even started, Richards-Ross said the pregnancy couldn't have come at a more unfortunate time.
"Everything I ever wanted seemed to be within reach," she said. "The culmination of a lifetime of work was right before me."
Richards-Ross explained that she made the decision with her ex-fiancé, along with her husband, Aaron Ross, who is also a former professional football player.
While talking over the phone, the two came to the decision together. Having the metal outweighed having a child at such a critical time in Richards-Ross's life.
"In that moment, it seemed like no choice at all," Richards-Ross went on to elaborate. "The debate of when life begins swirled through my head, and the veil of a child out of wedlock at the prime of my career seemed unbearable. What would my sponsors, my family, my church, and my fans think of me?"
Since the decision, People shared that the couple has been happily married. However, in 2010, the couple hit a snag when Richards-Ross revealed she had some resentment toward her husband because she felt abandoned in those dark times.
Since then, the pair has reconciled and they are expecting the birth of their first child who is due next year.
