Lydia Ko on embracing nervousness and breaking taboos around periods in women’s sports
In an exclusive interview with Olympics.com, the top-ranked player also opened up about becoming the best golfer in the world, how she has managed to stay on top of her game, and why the Paris 2024 Olympics are one of her biggest goals
World No 1 Lydia Ko is known for her competitive fire and solid golf swings on the greens.
However, it’s not only about being a smarter, better golfer and staying at the top of her game.
The New Zealand icon is a straight talker who is keen to chart a pathway for female athletes to be more open on issues that could affect their performance.
A year ago, she seemed to be in discomfort while playing in the finals rounds at the 2022 Palos Verdes Championship.
Ko was spotted being stretched by her physiotherapist, sparking fears she may be battling some back and hip tightness.
The double Olympic medallist was injury-free, and she knew the ‘tightness’ was related to her period.
When asked about her soreness, she was honest: “It’s that time of the month. I know the ladies watching are probably like, yeah, I got you…”
It was the beginning of her push to normalise conversations about menstruation in sport.
“The younger me would say it’s embarrassing, but now I don’t think it is that embarrassing to say it any more because I’m not the only one, right?”
she posed in an exclusive interview with Olympics.com as she looked ahead to competing at the 2023 Chevron Championships in Houston, one of the five major championships of professional women’s golf.
“I hope that with that many more people don’t have to necessarily come forward and say, ‘Hey, I’m on my period.’ But to know that it’s okay and that like all so many of us are like facing those kinds of physical changes is a natural human thing.”
