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Gwen Jorgensen On Breaking The Silence Around Periods In Sports

Player waving after winning/ JWS
Player waving after winning/ JWS

Gwen Jorgensen is a professional distance runner and former triathlete. At the 2016 Rio Olympics, Jorgenson won the USA’s first-ever triathlon gold medal. She spoke with Just Women’s Sports about her current partnership with Wasserman and Orreco, which looks to help athletes understand their periods effects on their athletic performance. (To read an overview of the partnership, click here.) 

How did you first hear about the partnership and what was your reaction? 

I remember Wasserman reached out and just said, “Wasserman’s been working with Orreco about their periods and how it affects performance.” And I was really intrigued and curious. I’ve always been a big proponent about getting your period. And I think when I was growing up, there was this stigma of like, “Oh, if you don’t get your period, it’s a good thing.” And so, I was very interested, very intrigued, curious, but I was also a little doubtful.

But honestly, my partnership with them has surpassed and exceeded all my expectations. And I want everyone to have their own little Dr. Georgie in their circle. It’s been incredible. I’m a mom and a female athlete, and as an athlete I was once told that I could manipulate my period by going on birth control so that I wouldn’t be on my period during race days because otherwise you’ll perform worse. It came from a male figure who was kind of a coach. And that never really resonated with me well. And so, talking to Dr. Georgie and just hearing like, “No, we can do things like sleep and manipulate nutrition to actually perform on any day of your cycle.” I love that, and I love seeing the impact of that, and I think that’s a really great message for women.

How knowledgeable were you already about the science regarding how the menstrual cycle affects athletic performance? 

I would say I wasn’t super knowledgeable. I knew little things about why some women need to go on hormonal birth control, but I never knew the science behind it. I’d heard women talking about why they cooked certain foods during different phases in their cycle, and I remember being really intrigued by that, but I didn’t really research it.

What’s most surprising about the science/or what’s the biggest insight that you’ve learned?

There’s been so many, it’s hard to pick one. For me personally, it was interesting because Dr. Georgie asked me if I got any symptoms, and I told her, no, I’m great. I don’t really get any symptoms. But she asked me to start tracking them anyways, and it turned out, I actually had a lot of symptoms. And I was like, “Well, yeah, but I just feel blessed because they’re not debilitating. I can live my life and it’s fine if I get a cramp, etc.” For me, I never talked about them as symptoms because I thought they were minimal. So that was really neat for me to learn and go through and have her acknowledge, “Those symptoms that you’re getting, maybe they’re not stopping you from doing what you’re doing, but we can make them even better, so you can perform even better on every day of your cycle.”

Some of the biggest things I learned were around nutrition. I feel like the, “You eat more fatty fish and berries around your fourth and first phase and eat more carbs during the training in phases three and four, then carbo-load in phases one and two” — things like that are interesting. I had some different coaches throughout my career who have wanted me to fast and to have some fasted runs or things like that. And to know that maybe during certain phases that might not be good, but during other phases of my cycle, it may be better — learning things like that has been really interesting.

More and more athletes and teams are discussing the need to track the menstrual cycle in order to maximize performance, but what needs to happen to bring this conversation into the mainstream? 

I think there’s some people on our team who are more shy about it or don’t want to talk about it. But right now I’m part of the Bowerman Track Club, and Shalane Flanagan just became a coach. She’s always been super good about making it very known. Like, “If you aren’t getting your period, speak up, saying something to us.” Because that’s an indicator of something going wrong.

And so that’s a good thing. But I feel like to help take it to the next level, coaches need to have a really good open line of communication about periods. I think there’s a lot of females with male coaches, and I think it’s just like, “Oh, we shouldn’t talk about that.” But it needs to be more prevalent. And I think it needs to be talked about more between athletes and their coaches. The coaches that I’ve loved are experts at getting me ready to be my best on race day. They’re not afraid of having other people join the circle, right? So I have a sports psychologist. I have a nutritionist. I have a strength coach. Everyone is an expert in their field. And I think it’s important to have somebody like a Dr. Georgie in that circle, as somebody who’s an expert on my period and how it relates to my performance. I think it should be normal to say, I have a nutritionist, and I have a period coach.

One of the things I’ve loved about Dr. George is that we don’t have to change our training. We can mitigate symptoms through things like getting more rest or having certain foods or doing some yoga during certain times of your cycle so that you’re ready to perform on any day of your cycle. I think that’s super important for people to know. This isn’t like, “Oh, you can’t perform on day 20 of your cycle.” It’s not like that at all. It’s more, “No, we want to get you so that every day of your cycle, you’re ready to be a hundred percent.” And that’s something that is just so cool to be able to learn about and to be able to know I’m flying up to the start line and no stone has been left unturned. I know that no matter what day of my cycle I am, I can perform.

Do you see this partnership with Orreco as being part of a broader effort to normalize the discussion?

Yeah. I mean, we need to normalize periods, bottom line. We just need to normalize them, and menstruating, and females. And I think there’s not a lot of studies that have been done on females, and it’s sad. And I think what Orreco and FitrWoman and Dr. Georgie and everyone’s doing is going to bring it more to the forefront. But it definitely is going to take a lot of effort and time and getting the word out and letting people know this is important and sports science is not just about male athletes, it’s about female athletes as well.

How has this experience with Orreco changed or impacted your training?

Honestly my training isn’t actually changing that much, which is what I actually love about this partnership. But it’s everything outside of what you would typically consider training that’s changing. So my nap schedule, my resting, the foods I focus on and those sorts of things are changing, and that’s been something that’s been super cool to see then how that actually transforms into better training. And it’s not perfected. I still have monthly calls with Dr. Georgie and we’re like, “Okay, what went well this month?”

Sometimes there’s a new symptom that pops up and we’re like, “Okay, we’ve never seen this before. Why do we think that is? Did you have a down week? Did you train super hard? What are the factors?” That’s why I think, going back to earlier when I said, “Maybe we need a period coach.” Because it is something that’s ever-evolving and ever-changing.

Was there anything else that you wanted to bring up that I didn’t mention at all?

I think it’s just so important to normalize periods and know that, if you’re an athlete, it’s not okay if your period stops. Know that it’s good to talk about these things and everyone gets different symptoms and we can overcome those and become better athletes if we are able to do the right things and keep focused on the process.

New York Liberty Lead 2025 WNBA Power Rankings

New York Liberty star Sabrina Ionescu celebrates a three-pointer during a 2025 WNBA preseason game.
The New York Liberty lead the WNBA power rankings ahead of the 2025 season tip-off. (Ali Gradischer/Getty Images)

The New York Liberty will open the 2025 WNBA season at the top of the league's power rankings, drumming up high expectations despite a short-staffed roster.

Trailing the reigning champions at No. 2 are 2024 runners-up Minnesota, followed by 2023 champs Las Vegas at No. 3.

Fueled by this year's overall No. 2 draft pick Dominique Malonga, the Seattle Storm claimed No. 4 in the WNBA rankings, with the revamped Indiana Fever eyeing a 2025 turnaround at No. 5.

The betting market similarly reflects the league's latest forecast, with sportsbook FanDuel setting the Liberty's title odds at +210, followed by the Aces at +360, and the Lynx at +370.

The lines also support Indiana's promise, giving the Fever the fourth-best championship odds at +390 — far higher than the fifth-best Phoenix Mercury at +1,300.

On the other hand, the Dallas Wings, LA Sparks, Washington Mystics, Connecticut Sun, and Golden State Valkyries occupy the rankings' bottom half, as 2025's potential lottery teams prepare to prove themselves against top-line squads this season.

The up-for-sale Sun and brand-new Valkyries have the longest title odds on FanDuel, clocking in at +50,000 each.

While preseason action has provided some quality sneak peeks, Friday's opening tip-off represents a fresh start for the league, one where anything can — and likely will — happen.

Seattle Storm and France international teammates Gabby Williams and Dominique Malonga smile before a 2025 WNBA preseason game.
France's Gabby Williams and Dominique Malonga will skip the 2025 Eurobasket to stay with Seattle. (Scott Eklund/NBAE via Getty Images)

European WNBA stars drop out of 2025 EuroBasket

Several European WNBA standouts announced they will skip out on this summer's FIBA EuroBasket, opting to prioritize league play following a pivotal 2024 Olympics.

Reigning Olympic silver medalists Gabby Williams and Dominique Malonga both confirmed they will not represent France at the European tournament in June, opting to remain with the Seattle Storm.

The duo's France teammate Carla Leite is also forgoing the trip, instead remaining with the Golden State Valkyries for the entirety of the expansion side's debut season.

As a major international tournament, the 2025 FIBA EuroBasket is exempt from the WNBA's prioritization rule, meaning eligible players can miss regular-season league play to compete in the overseas contest without being in violation of WNBA protocols.

The 2025 regional FIBA competition between Europe's top national teams will tip off on June 18th.

Alex Morgan Rejoins San Diego Wave as Minority Owner

San Diego Wave minority owner Alex Morgan wears a pink suit and smiles while sitting in gray stadium seats.
Alex Morgan retired from professional soccer in 2024. (San Diego Wave FC)

US soccer legend Alex Morgan is back in the game, becoming a minority owner of her former NWSL club by investing in the San Diego Wave FC on Tuesday.

One of the 2022 expansion side's first signings, Morgan captained the Wave to their 2023 NWSL Shield win before retiring in September 2024 as the team's all-time leader in both goals (28) and assists (11).

"San Diego is where I've built my home, where I am raising my children, and found a purpose beyond my playing career," Morgan said in a club statement. "I believed in Wave FC before a single match was played, and I still believe this club has the power to change the future of women's sports."

Morgan joins an ownership group led by the Leichtman-Levine family. The Leichtmans purchased the team from founding owner Ron Burkle at a reported $113 million valuation last year.

"Alex has always fought to positively impact this game beyond the pitch," said Wave FC controlling owner Lauren Leichtman. "Her decision to invest is not only a continuation of her leadership but also a reflection of her belief in what we are building."

The two-time World Cup champion appears to be making good on her desire to shape the women's sports landscape after hanging up her boots, also buying into Unrivaled 3×3 Basketball ahead of the league's early 2025 debut.

"I was on board [with Unrivaled] from day one," Morgan told Boardroom in January. "Fans want to see what a player's personality is and who they vibe with, what drives them, and I think that being able to mesh that with competition, it already [is] a home run here with Unrivaled. So it would be really exciting to do something with other women's sports as well."

Minnesota Enters Game 4 with 2-1 PWHL Semifinals Lead Over Toronto

Defender Lee Stecklein celebrates a goal during the 2025 PWHL semifinals with her Minnesota Frost teammates.
Minnesota holds a 2-1 series advantage over Toronto. (Michael Chisholm/Getty Images)

The Minnesota Frost offense is ruling the ice, as record-setting scoring has the reigning PWHL champions on the brink of returning to the Walter Cup finals, entering Wednesday's Game 4 on a 2-1 series lead over the Toronto Sceptres in the best-of-five semifinals. 

Just two days after No. 4-seed Minnesota leveled the series with a 5-3 Friday win — recording the most combined goals ever scored in a PWHL Playoff game — the Frost found yet another gear, winning the highest scoring game in the second-year league's history in Sunday’s 7-5 Game 3 defeat of No. 2-seed Toronto.

In Sunday's barnburner, 21 players earned points across the two teams, but it was Minnesota who claimed victory, never relinquishing their early lead after netting a trio of goals in the game's first eight minutes.

"Minnesota's a great team," Sceptres head coach Troy Ryan said after the loss. "If you're putting yourself in a situation where you've got to chase them, it's an uphill battle."

"I think it’s a fan's dream and a coach's nightmare, a 7-5 playoff game," said Minnesota boss Ken Klee. "We found a way to win and that's the most important thing."

Perhaps unsurprisingly, Minnesota skaters now own the league's 2025 Playoffs stat sheet, with four Frost players topping the points race.

More eyebrow-raising, however, is that the league's postseason offensive leader is a defender, as the Frost's Lee Stecklein has burned up the ice with three goals and three assists in the playoffs so far.

Calling her "outstanding" and "world-class," Klee sang Stecklein's praises while acknowledging that the postseason means Minnesota must "find different ways to score goals and different people have to contribute."

"[Stecklein] knows that, she exemplifies that, and that's why she's one of our leaders and one of our best players."

How to watch Minnesota vs. Toronto in the PWHL Semifinals

The defending champion Frost will hope to secure their spot in the 2025 PWHL Finals while the Sceptres aim to stave off elimination in the pair's next semifinals game on Wednesday.

The puck drops on Game 4 of the best-of-five series at 7 PM ET, with live coverage streaming on the PWHL YouTube channel.

Marta Comes Out of Retirement to Join Brazil National Team Roster

Marta looks up before the 2024 Olympic gold-medal match between Brazil and the USWNT.
Despite her 2024 international retirement, Marta will return to the Brazil team this month. (Cao Can/Xinhua via Getty Images)

Soccer legend Marta is officially returning to the canary yellow kit, earning a Brazil national team call-up just over nine months after her planned retirement from international duty.

Brazil head coach Arthur Elias named Marta to the world No. 8 Seleção's roster on Tuesday, with the 39-year-old icon returning for the team's upcoming home friendlies against No. 5 Japan on May 30th and June 2nd.

"I was with Marta recently and spoke with her," Elias told reporters on Tuesday. "She said she is available to help the team while she is playing at a high level, as she is now."

Stellar club form fuels Marta's Brazil return

Marta, who hung up her international boots after snagging a third silver Olympic medal at the 2024 Paris Games, hasn't missed a beat since, captaining the Orlando Pride to the club's first-ever NWSL Shield and Championship last fall.

In the process, the scoring phenom claimed the league's Best XI First Team honors, as well as finalist nods for both the 2024 NWSL MVP and Midfielder of the Year awards.

Unsurprisingly, the Pride inked Marta to a two-year contract extension in January.

While Marta's consistently impressive form fueled Elias's request to lure her out of retirement, the manager is also hoping her unmatched leadership will bolster younger athletes as Brazil takes aim at a record-extending ninth Copa América title this summer — and, as the host nation, a deep 2027 World Cup run.

Joining the legend on Tuesday's roster are fellow Brazil veterans Lorena and Debinha, from the NWSL-leading Kansas City Current, and Marta's Orlando teammate Angelina.

"[Marta's] presence in some call-ups is very important for the younger players, for the renewal that is taking place in the national team," explained Elias. "We really want expectations to rise for the women's national team and for football in our country."

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