MORGANTOWN, PA — As the road to the 2026 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games tightens, a group of Team USA mothers is getting rare and decisive support to compete without leaving their families behind.
For All Mothers+ announced it has awarded “Bring the Babies” Changemaker Grants to five Team USA athletes bound for Milano-Cortina, providing direct financial support to offset the often prohibitive costs of parenting while competing at the elite level. The recipients are Elana Meyers Taylor, Kaillie Armbruster Humphries, Kelly Curtis, Tabitha Peterson Lovick, and Tara Peterson.
Each athlete will receive $5,000 to cover essential family-related expenses such as airfare, lodging, childcare, and breast-milk transport—costs that are typically excluded from elite sport funding but can determine whether a mother can remain competitive.
The grants are supported by presenting partner Joie, along with corporate and individual donors.
“Systemic barriers should never be the reason a professional athlete can’t compete,” said Alysia Montaño, founder and president of For All Mothers+. She said the grants exist because the “Motherhood Penalty” in sports is real, forcing many athletes to choose between their careers and their children.
Research cited by the organization from its ongoing Motherhood Penalty in Sports Survey, conducted with Carleton University’s Health & Wellness Equity Research Group, found that 73% of mothering athletes experienced a decrease, pause, or termination of funding related to pregnancy or motherhood, while 72% needed outside employment to support their families.
The timing is significant. According to the International Olympic Committee, Milano-Cortina 2026 is expected to be the most gender-balanced Winter Games in history, with women making up a record 47% of competitors—a shift that has also increased the number of parenting athletes.
Allyson Felix, a For All Mothers+ board member and elected IOC Athlete Commission member, said elite sports have too often asked mothers to leave part of themselves behind. She said the “Bring the Babies” grants recognize that family support is a necessity, not a luxury.
Joie Chief Marketing and Strategy Officer Jerry Ingraham said the partnership reflects the company’s belief that parents—especially mothers—should not have to choose between caring for their children and competing on the world stage.
For All Mothers+ said additional grants, including one for a Team USA Paralympic mother, may be awarded once final team rosters are announced.
Founded in 2020 by Montaño, For All Mothers+ works to dismantle the Motherhood Penalty across sports and society through research, storytelling, policy advocacy, and direct financial support. More information about the organization and its initiatives is available at www.forallmothers.org.
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