{"id":167197,"date":"2017-06-06T19:11:34","date_gmt":"2017-06-06T23:11:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.liveaction.org\/news\/?p=167197"},"modified":"2017-06-06T19:11:34","modified_gmt":"2017-06-06T23:11:34","slug":"olympic-medalist-sanya-richards-ross-shares-story-of-abortion-regret","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/archive.liveaction.org\/news\/olympic-medalist-sanya-richards-ross-shares-story-of-abortion-regret\/","title":{"rendered":"Olympic medalist Sanya Richards-Ross shares story of abortion regret"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>

In a new book released Tuesday, five-time Olympic medalist Sanya Richards-Ross shares about her career as a world champion runner, her faith, and her decision to get an abortion<\/a> years ago.<\/p>\n

In\u00a0Chasing Grace: What the Quarter Mile Has Taught Me about God and Life<\/span><\/em><\/a>,\u00a0Sanya explains that just weeks prior to competing in the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, she was faced with an untimely pregnancy, and a difficult choice. With her career about to take off, she felt she had no real\u00a0options.<\/p>\n

\u201cEverything I ever wanted seemed to be within reach,\u201d says Sanya. \u201cThe culmination of a lifetime of work was right before me. In that moment, it seemed like no choice at all.”<\/p>\n

Fear of judgment from friends and family may have also played a role in the decision to abort. She explains, “The debate of when life begins swirled through my head, and the veil of a child out of wedlock at the prime of my career seemed unbearable. What would my sponsors, my family, my church, and my fans think of me?\u201d<\/p>\n

Sanya says her\u00a0then-fianc\u00e9, now-husband, NFL cornerback Aaron Ross, avoided expressing either agreement with or opposition to choosing abortion, a neutral stance that she says left her feeling abandoned in the decision.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

While choosing abortion seemed to be the only option at the time, she now regrets that choice. \u201cI made a decision that broke me, and one from which I would not immediately heal,\u201d she says. \u201cAbortion would now forever be a part of my life. A scarlet letter I never thought I\u2019d wear. I was a champion\u2014 and not just an ordinary one, but a world-class, record-breaking champion. From the heights of that reality I fell into a depth of despair.\u201d<\/p>\n

But since that time, Sanya says she has found healing and restoration, including\u00a0in her faith and\u00a0her relationship with Aaron. She says she felt the need to share her abortion story in the book so people in similar circumstances can know that they are not alone, and that there is healing from abortion. “I think there are lots of young girls who experience this, especially female athletes,”\u00a0she told ESPN.\u00a0“I look forward to having more discussions about it andd helping young women heal from it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Healing from an abortion can be a\u00a0difficult process, and it can be hard to endure alone.\u00a0At HopeAfterAbortion.com<\/a>, resources can be\u00a0located by region. Rachel’s Vineyard offers resources for both\u00a0women and men\u00a0in post-abortive situations, including toll-free hotlines: (866)482-LIFE\u00a0& (877)HOPE-4-ME.<\/p>\n

In February, Sanya announced that she and Aaron are again expecting a child. \u201cMany parts of our lives have felt like a fairy tale, but this is our biggest blessing yet,\u201d\u00a0she told PEOPLE<\/a>. \u201cWe are so excited to start a family and can\u2019t wait to begin this new adventure!\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In a new book released Tuesday, five-time Olympic medalist Sanya Richards-Ross shares about her career as a world champion runner, her faith, and her decision to get an abortion years ago. In\u00a0Chasing Grace: What the Quarter Mile Has Taught Me about God and Life,\u00a0Sanya explains that just weeks prior to competing in the 2008 Olympics […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":307,"featured_media":167221,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false},"categories":[9455],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\nOlympic medalist Sanya Richards-Ross shares story of abortion regret<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\""I was a champion\u2014 a world-class, record-breaking champion. 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