Surfing Icon Carissa Moore Drops Major Pregnancy Update Months After Paris Olympics Heartbreak

Carissa Moore’s journey to motherhood just got a whole lot sweeter! The 31-year-old surfing legend, already a gold medalist from the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and a five-time World Champion on the World Surf League Women’s World Tour, is now riding the wave toward her biggest adventure yet—becoming a mom. But let’s rewind a bit, because her journey to this moment is nothing short of extraordinary.

Heading into Paris 2024, expectations for Moore were sky-high. After all, she’s a bona fide icon of the sport. But surfing, like life, doesn’t always go as planned. Moore’s Olympic campaign came to a halt in the quarterfinals after a tough loss to Johanne Defay of France. And while that might sound like the end of her story in Paris, the real twist came later. On August 22, Moore dropped the ultimate plot twist: she’s expecting her first baby in February 2025. Yup, she competed at the Olympics while pregnant!

She joined a rare and inspiring club of athletes who’ve competed at the highest level while expecting. Egyptian fencer Nada Hafez, seven months pregnant at the Paris Games, and Azerbaijani judoka Yaylagul Ramazanova, who also competed while visibly pregnant, are among this elite group. But wait—there’s more good news!

Fast-forward to her gender reveal party, where Moore and her husband, Luke Untermann, shared their excitement in style. Taking to Instagram, the glowing mom-to-be posted a carousel of photos from the event. The highlight? A banner that read, “Baby on board. It’s a GIRL.” The party was everything you’d imagine from a surfer queen—floral themes, coral and peach décor, macarons, cupcakes, and even a seashell nursery mobile. Moore, draped in a garland of flowers, posed with her family and friends, her baby bump stealing the show. Let’s not forget the baby library and a spread of mouthwatering desserts.

The mastermind behind this stunning celebration? None other than her mom, Carol Lum, and her sisters. Moore couldn’t stop gushing about it, writing: “Overwhelmed by the love for our baby girl this weekend 🥹 It  was the most beautiful shower I have ever seen! Thank you to my moms and sisters for organizing every detail with so much thought and care.”

She went on to thank her “village” for their advice, hugs, coffee dates, and steadfast support during her pregnancy. Moore wrapped up her heartfelt note perfectly, saying, “This little girl is so blessed ✨.” Of course, this joyful chapter didn’t come without its challenges. Moore has faced her share of hurdles on the road to embracing motherhood!

Carissa Moore reveals the emotional rollercoaster of being pregnant during the Paris Olympics!

Embracing motherhood can be one of the most beautiful feelings for many; however, it also comes with its share of challenges. More so, when an athlete steps into the journey of embracing motherhood. Pregnancy, on the one hand, blessed the life of Carissa Moore, but on the other hand, it added another layer of complexity to an already demanding profession. At the 2024 Paris Olympics, Moore faced not just the fierce competition in the waves of Teahupo’o but also the challenges of competing during her first trimester of pregnancy. It was a period marked by physical and emotional upheaval for Moore.

In a candid interview with Surfer from September 2024, Moore reflected on how her pregnancy affected her performance at the Games, where she was unable to defend her gold medal. There are “so many things that are happening to your body in the first trimester,” she admitted. Despite careful planning and assurance that her participation wouldn’t harm her baby, Moore found herself grappling with unexpected hurdles. “Like being sick and tired and emotional, like just wanting to cry at random moments,” she shared with a grin, highlighting the emotional toll of balancing motherhood and professional sports.

Though her Olympic campaign ended in heartbreak, Moore found solace in the bigger picture. “Yes, this sucked, and I put everything I had into it,” she said, reflecting on the disappointment of her quarterfinal exit. However, she chose to shift her focus to the brighter picture of her life. The fact that she would soon be welcoming a new life made her power through the Olympic heartbreak. She said, “But look at this beautiful next thing that I get to focus my energy on.” The five-time world champion has since turned her focus toward embracing the joys of motherhood, a journey she and her husband publicly announced on August 22, 2024.