A Mother Who Leaded Iceland in Euros
The aforementioned remark is spoken by Sara Björk, captain of the Icelandic women’s national team. Toward the end of her 11 minute, 51 second documentary of pregnancy. The documentary, which Puma and Copa 90 jointly produced. It covers her journey from prenatal training through her postpartum return to professional football.
Her documentary’s opening sentence is, “I want to try to not compromise my profession merely to have a family.”
“I want to prove to everyone that I am capable of both. Sara Björk is my name. In addition to wanting to compete for my nation in the Euros in June. I will be having a kid in November.
July 10th, Sunday
Time jump to July 10th, Sunday. Iceland’s opening Euro 2022 match will be played at the Manchester City Academy venue. One for Viking literature is the image of Björk performing the national song. Her colleagues while donning the captain’s armband.
One of the main stories leading up to the Women’s Euro 2022. It has been the 31-year-journey old’s over the past year or two. Through her documentary, Do Both, which provides insider access to Bjork’s training before, during, and after. Her pregnancy as well as her thoughts and the perspectives of her family, friends, and coworker. one may experience this journey.
She was much more competitive than I was despite the fact that I was two years older and a little bit bigger. Nevertheless, she never gave up, you know.
As Sara’s boyfriend and another professional footballer, rni Vilhjálmsson, explains in the movie, the level of competition hasn’t diminished at all.
I’m concerned that she’ll return too quickly, he continues, “like placing some statement saying you can be back in a month.”
Two months after her due date of pregnancy
Only two months after her due date, in January 2022. Björk had intended to go for Lyon in order to rejoin her team for the remainder of the season. And reacquaint herself with the routine well in advance of the summer’s Euros.
Her former national colleagues who had been on a comparable path and had been training while expecting made the same recommendation for Mark Johnson.
Johnson is heard on tape saying, “The better shape she’s going to give birth in, the faster she can recuperate.”
“But you’re ignorant. That is the issue. What will transpire during labour and how her body will recuperate following delivery are both unknowns. Simply put, each person is unique.
Björk Discussion before pregnancy
Björk also discusses how, after a certain amount of time (about 20 to 21 weeks), her body was unable to match her resolve to practise. Even the doctor warned her that her training situation is only going to deteriorate.
“I’ve been exercising for almost 20 weeks, and I can’t stop now since I was walking like this…
I was unable to walk.
Naturally, the workout became less intense, and the 31-year-old started to become frustrated since she wasn’t feeling as rested as she had hoped. After Björk gave birth to her son Ragnar on November 16, 2021, normalcy would not return for a while.
When speaking about her comeback to training in January, she remarked, “In the beginning, there was so much strain on the groyne and the pelvis that I couldn’t even pass a long ball.”
However, the next workout improved much more, and I am truly surprised at how rapidly my physique has changed.
Comeback in game with pregnancy
In March against Dijon, the Icelandic international made her comeback to the field for Lyon. She would make her comeback in the blue jersey in less than a month, just in time for Iceland’s 2023 World Cup qualifying matches against Belarus and the Czech Republic.
Not just Björk’s mum made it onto the summer national team. In fact, Iceland has five more mothers than any other team competing in the Euros, and they have together earned more than 400 international caps. Additionally included on Thorsteinn Halldorsson’s final list for England were Dagny Brynjarsdottir, Sif Atladottir, Sandra Sigurdardottir, and Elisa Vidarsdottir.
Björk spoke on how talking to her coworkers who had resumed playing professional football after having children in a recent BBC interview.
We all have our unique experiences, but the fact that they succeeded should serve as an example for all other women. It was encouraging to me and continues to be. Margrét Lára Viarsdóttir, a former national teammate of Björk’s who scored 79 goals in 124 appearances for the senior squad, referred to the Iceland captain as a role model.
“She’ll demonstrate to everyone that this is feasible. Girls play soccer for a longer time and at a higher level until they are 35 years old. We wish to carry out both. You don’t have to make a decision.
