Olympian Sanya Richards-Ross Reveals She Had an Abortion Before the 2008 Olympics

BEIJING, CHINA – AUGUST 29: Sanya Richards-Ross of the United States looks on during the Women’s 4×400 Metres Relay heats during day eight of the 15th IAAF World Athletics Championships Beijing 2015 at Beijing National Stadium on August 29, 2015 in Beijing, China. (Photo by Michael Steele/Getty Images)

Five-time Olympic medalist Sanya Richards-Ross reveals in a new memoir that she had an abortion just weeks before the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.

Sanya dropped the news in her new book, ‘Chasing Grace: What the Quarter Mile Has Taught Me About God and Life’ saying she and her husband, Aaron Ross made the decision together during a phone call.

“Everything I ever wanted seemed to be within reach, The culmination of a lifetime of work was right before me.

In that moment, it seemed like no choice at all. 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?” She wrote in the memoir.

Sanya competed in the 400m race that year and won the bronze medal as part of the 4×400 relay team.