She wanted to take a break from playing curling — she played only occasionally and focused mainly on coaching junior mixed doubles. But this year, Petra Klímová returned in full force. Together with Lukáš Klíma, she defeated the Olympic duo Zelingrová / Chabičovský in the national championship final and achieved one of the best Czech results at the World Championship in recent years. While pregnant. On the edge of the third trimester. How did she manage it, how did she prepare for the championship, and what motivated her? An interview not only with her, but also with her physiotherapist and strength coach.

“Seeing Lukáš play at the Olympics was the biggest motivation for me,” Petra said after returning from Cortina, where she had supported Team Klíma. The atmosphere captivated her so much that she decided to dive back into full training — even though she already knew that someone else would be accompanying her on her journey toward her curling dream. The fundamental question arose: is it even possible to combine elite-level curling with late-stage pregnancy?

“Petra proves that it is possible. A lot depends on how the pregnant athlete approaches it. Today we know much more about what a woman truly needs during pregnancy, which allows us to support her properly and make sure she has everything necessary to achieve physical performance at a top level,” explains physiotherapist Magdalena Juranová, who attended the World Championship with the Klímová / Klíma team.

Besides her physiotherapist, Petra also reached out to a well‑known curling fitness coach who has already worked with several pregnant top curlers. Stephanie Thompson began preparing her shortly after the Klíma duo won the national mixed doubles title. “Petra contacted me a few months ago after winning the national championship, and we got to work right away. She has extensive knowledge of strength training and curling, so my role was more about expanding her perspective and helping her maintain quality movement and physical readiness for competition. Our goal was to ensure she moved well and could adapt both on and off the ice as the pregnancy progressed. Competing at a World Championship at the end of the second and beginning of the third trimester is a big challenge. She wanted to be sure she would be able to truly compete, not just ‘play through’ the event.”

According to both experts, it was crucial that Petra was already in good physical condition before pregnancy, which provided a strong foundation for further work.

“We worked together on pre‑tournament planning. I prepared warm‑ups and compensatory exercises for the gym and the ice, as well as short exercise blocks directly during the tournament to help her maintain quality movement (she also had a preparatory event before Worlds where she could test everything). We planned gym sessions and home workouts to help her maintain strength and confidence in her body,” Stephanie adds.

What did Petra have to focus on the most? “It’s interesting — your center of gravity shifts, you’re heavier, you slow down a bit faster, so you need to focus on the core and staying stable in the slide.”

“One thing I emphasize a lot with curlers is core work — knowing how to activate it properly while avoiding unnecessary tension in areas that need to stay relaxed, typically the hips and shoulders during delivery. We also worked through video sharing, where (together with her coach Wade Scoffin) we adjusted her delivery as her center of gravity changed with the growing belly, and discussed how to maintain proper hip alignment in the hack during the slide,” Stephanie adds.

“We’ve known each other for a long time; Petra used to come to me for physiotherapy even before she got pregnant. So we were able to build on that cooperation, and I had been observing all the changes from the very beginning of her pregnancy and responding to her body’s needs. I think the key is that the woman works with a specialist who has experience in this field, and the work must be highly individualized. There isn’t much room for general advice here,” says physiotherapist Magdalena.

And what’s next for Petra? “I’d like to keep playing, even with a baby, if possible. I’m motivated again, I enjoy it, and I want to keep working hard. I’d also like to continue coaching the junior mixed doubles team Krupičková/Blaha, where I see great potential.”