The U.S. marathoner said she was “full of gratitude” after the regulation was rescinded, expressing that she didn’t know what she was going to do if she had to make an “unimaginable” call.

"I couldn't imagine," Tuliamuk said, CBS News reported. "I mean, thinking about it still makes me want to cry."

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The Kenyan native also shared that she drew inspiration to speak out from other prominent female athletes like Allyson Felix, Kara Goucher and Alysia Montaño, who said they were penalized by Nike in 2019 for being pregnant.

"If we want to support female athletes, part of being a female athlete is also having a family and if you want to support me as a complete athlete, you should be able to make room for my family. You should be able to make room for me if I decide to have a family," Tuliamuk said. "You can't just talk about supporting women and then not actually support them.Tuliamuk hopes that her efforts will inspire young women, including her daughter, to speak up for themselves in times of adversity."

"I want to make sure my daughter understands that this world is not easy but that does not mean that you give up. It means that you double down and you work very, very hard and you seize every opportunity that you get," she added. "That's how you achieve your goals."

International-Olympic-Committee

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