Faith Kipyegon Shares Changes Beatrice Chebet and McLaughlin-Levrone Must Embrace in Motherhood

With Beatrice Chebet and Sydney McLaughlin Levrone set to embark on their journey towards motherhood, Faith Kipyegon has some advice for them.

Chebet and McLaughlin-Levrone announced this month that they are taking a break from track in 2026 as they prepare to become mothers for the first time.

It means athletics will be robbed off two of the biggest names in 2026, who are also world record holders in their respective disciplines until 2027, when the next World Championships is held in Beijing, China.

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Chebet and McLaughlin-Levrone will be eyeing strong comebacks and they have a number of examples to learn from, ranging from Kipyegon, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce to Hellen Obiri who had their babies and returned strongly.

While Kipyegon has strong faith that both women will come back in fine fashion, she has shared her own experience, especially on body changes that the two athletes should embrace and use as fuel to fire them to glory after maternity break.

“It was not easy coming back to running after maternity,” Kipyegon admitted on NTV. “Your body changes, kilos and all that and at the same time, stretchmarks for some women.”

“I was so proud of the stretchmarks. After maternity leave in 2019, I ran with the small crop top and I was so proud of it because nobody can take away my daughter from me. She is mine and I gave birth to her and my body changed,” says Kipyegon, who had her daughter Alyn in June 2018.

“Why do we have to be ashamed of our bodies when we are giving birth or how people would look at us? I do not do that. I am proud because my daughter is there, I am healthy and my body changed because of my daughter, so I was proud.”

Kipyegon is also proud to see athletes now announcing publicly when they become pregnant unlike before when they would hide it and feels it is because of the precedent women like her set which has now made others proud to be mothers.

“We went to maternity leave me, Shelly-Ann Fraser Pryce and Alyson Felix and we changed the mentality of women to know that you can go to maternity and come back even stronger than before,” she further said.

“When you have a family, they push you, not like when you are alone. You look at your child and you are like; ‘I have someone motivating me to just work hard’,” the 31-year-old added on the impact of motherhood on athletes.

“And I am happy that they don’t hide anymore, saying I am somewhere, injured or doing something else but I am proud to announce I am pregnant and see you next year.”

Kipyegon is indeed an example that athletes can become even much better after having children as since having her daughter, she has won four world titles, two Olympics gold medals and broken multiple world records while she is still going strong in her 30s.

In Kipyegon, Chebet, McLaughlin-Levrone and others who will follow them have someone they can look up to when doubts come regarding a strong comeback once they have their children.