‘You Feel Like You’re Drowning’: LPGA Legend Michelle Wie West Gets Honest About the Struggles of Being a Mother

A mother’s job is often said to be the hardest there is. While many may argue against that, former LPGA Tour star Michelle Wie West certainly won’t be one of them. In 2020, the ex-pro golfer gave birth to her daughter, Makenna Kamalei Yoona West. Since then, the 2014 US Women’s Open winner has stepped into her mom duties. On her recent podcast, she even opened up about the hardships of motherhood she faces, especially as a famous athlete.

West turned pro in 2005 and spent the majority of her golf career playing on the LPGA Tour. She recently retired from professional golf too, and now the star golfer has another identity: that of a mother of one.

Michelle Wie West opens up about her post-pregnancy difficulties

Recently, the former golfer, along with Hally Leadbetter, hosted Erin Lim on their podcast, “Golf, Mostly.” During their sit-down, the LPGA Tour veteran began discussing how hard being a mother was. While many expected to hear the regular 24-hour on-the-clock rant, West narrated a completely different problem. “Literally in a second, nothing is about you anymore,” she said.

“As a professional athlete… everything is about me,” she explained. “Everything was always about me, till the baby came along.” The 5-time LPGA Tour winner stated that she had begun losing her identity. It wasn’t something that West had seen coming before giving birth.

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West couldn’t comprehend how sudden it all was. In just an instant, nothing was about her anymore. “That was really hard to digest because it just happened so fast,” she claimed. Being famous and always the center of attention, dealing with such a scenario was completely new to her. But eventually, she figured it out.

How did West cope with her loss of identity?

“Doing stuff I’m passionate about really helped me find my own ability post-birth,” she said to Leadbetter and Lim. “I think it’s really helpful.” The one-time major winner used her work travels and other passions to find herself again. And she was overjoyed to be able to do so.

West explained that it was important to find balance and do things for yourself too. West claimed that being honest and open was extremely helpful too because when “you feel like you’re drowning,” it was those around you who wouldn’t let you lose yourself.

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Do you see West’s side of things now that she has opened up about it? Let us know in the comments below.