She didn’t make the cut, but Amy Olson made the news last week in advance of the LPGA U.S. Women’s Open. Seven months pregnant, Olson was pursued by journalists to tell her story. It is a story so many of us have—a desire to have a career, a family and follow our dreams.
Olson explained to reporters that she knew she would have to stop playing at some point in her pregnancy and calculated that the timing would coincide with the U.S. Women’s Open—being played for the first time ever at Pebble Beach Golf Course. She did not want to miss the opportunity to compete on a course that she had always dreamed of playing.
She pushed hard to qualify for the Open, with rounds leading up to the qualifying play. Once she made the cut for the event, she had other steps necessary to prepare her for this unique playing situation.
First, she contacted her network of peers for advice. Olson wasn’t the first woman to play pregnant, but was the first to play the Open at seven months pregnant. She received plenty of wisdom from moms who took this shot in tournaments before her.
Next, she realized she would need to adjust her game to offset the changes in her body. Olson explained that her center was different, her swing was changed and balance needed focus.
Finally, she stated that going into the first round at Pebble Beach, her mindset was to give it her best shot. She didn’t make the final cut, but she fulfilled her dream and set a great example to all women that there is no need to sacrifice your dreams or goals when pregnant.
This entire story correlates directly to CREW Network. Women in commercial real estate can turn to our 13,000-member network for advice and guidance from those who have come before them—especially about starting a family and maintaining a career.
If you choose to start a family, you may need to make adjustments, but that doesn’t mean you won’t “make the cut” (promotion, new job, etc.). It just means you must make changes to continue your journey. You can only do the best you can do within the circumstances—just don’t pass up the chance to try!
I was ecstatic to hear the reporter state that women doing their job while seven months pregnant happens all the time. While we recognize the physicality of the job of a professional golfer, women have been working through pregnancy while pursuing their dreams for years.
Amen to that—you can do it too—with your CREW!
Cheers,
WM
Wendy Mann is the chief executive officer of Commercial Real Estate Women (CREW) Network and president of the CREW Network Foundation.
Twitter: @crew_wendym
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