• For The Win

Michelle Wie-West Is Still Breaking Barriers

  • November 27, 2024

Any conversation about women in golf inevitably includes Michelle Wie-West. A phenom who picked up clubs at age 4, Michelle is a force on the greens. She was the youngest player ever to make the cut for the US Women’s Open at 13. She signed with Nike at age 15. And as a teenager, she famously fought for women's sports equality to play alongside men on the PGA circuit, debuting at an early season open in 2004 with a second-round 68 that still claims the record for the lowest PGA round by a woman.

Michelle went on to win the US Women’s Open and five more events on the LPGA tour. Last year, she retired from her professional golf career, earning a standing ovation as she sank her putt on the 18th hole at Pebble Beach. She’d set her mind to a new goal: Growing her family. Michelle and her husband, Jonnie West, had a daughter, Makenna, in 2020, and wanted a second child — but the couple hit heartbreaking obstacles, including pregnancy loss and a difficult IVF journey.

Finding strength to get through hard moments is something Michelle says she’s always tapped into as an athlete. It’s those same athlete-minded traits — perseverance, dedication, passion — that she wants to instill in her daughter, and as of this past October, her new baby boy, Jagger Jerry Yoojun West.

Here, Michelle shares what victories look like to her now, the joy she’s found in working with Nike on products for women and mothers, and what’s next for her in sports.

To get through IVF, I drew from my experience in hardship and adversity as a professional athlete. Especially the physical aspects. As a professional golfer, I had to learn how to keep my stamina up, keep my body strong, and that helped me steel myself through the injections, the bruising. Of course, it’s not a complete one to one but I found there were many similarities to sports. You can try too hard, get frustrated, and feel stuck. I’ve learned in both that sometimes you have to let the process take over.

When I think about pregnancy now, I think about it like training for a major. When I got pregnant with my first child, it was during Covid, and it happened so easily that I didn’t even think about it. Getting pregnant the second time was completely different. It didn’t come as easily. I paid more attention to preparing my body for birth. I worked with a nutritionist on an eating plan. While I couldn’t really work out too much, I was mindful about movement like walking. And I was more intentional on managing my energy levels, and my emotions as well.

"Wish I could go back in time and tell myself that everything will be ok," Michelle wrote on Instagram. "Thinking about everyone going through loss and infertility struggles right now."

As a mom, I absolutely channel the mental training I developed as a golfer. When I’m tired, when my toddler’s crying, I tell myself to take a deep breath and not auto-react. It's like hitting a really bad shot on the green and just not letting it get to you. And just like in sports, leaning on other people is crucial too. Making sure I involve my partner, and not trying to do everything myself, not trying to be that super mom or guilt myself into that. And then sometimes I’ll just text my husband and say “I'm going to get my nails done. Figure it out.”

“When I’m tired, when my toddler’s crying, I tell myself to take a deep breath and not auto-react. It's like hitting a really bad shot on the green and just not letting it get to you.”

Michelle Wie-West, champion golfer

Being part of the Nike Athlete Think Tank [a collective of women athletes who help advise the brand] has been a such a cool experience. I feel grateful and lucky to be welcomed into that community, and I’ve made so many amazing friends — women ranging from young girls in their teens to fellow moms. It’s been interesting to see that, while we all have different sports backgrounds, we’ve battled many of the same issues and problems. And it’s been fun and meaningful to have input into Nike women’s products that have come to market, like the Leak Protection Period short, and to see Nike incorporate our suggestions.

Part of the work I did with Athlete Think Tank was giving insights for Nike’s new Swoosh (M) Bra. This nursing bra allows women to move while they express breast milk, and I’m really excited to try it out. When I was pregnant last time, the technology was just being developed, so this pregnancy I absolutely got a hands-free pump. I think the bra is a gamechanger for women. When you're plugged into a wall to pump, you're stuck. To be able to nurse or pump while you're, say, walking on the treadmill, doing something for yourself, is so huge. After having my daughter, I remember I would have to leave the golf course to go pump between shots. I’d have to take a hole off. With this bra, I could pump on the golf cart! It is physical, mental and emotional freedom to not have to be in the corner of a locked room every two and a half hours to pump. And I think products like this can prolong breastfeeding journeys.

It’s been fun to see the Nike maternity line expand, to try out different things from the line. I also helped give insights for the Nike (M) apparel, which people think is just for pregnancy and postpartum, but can absolutely be for an IVF journey too. You get so bloated and nothing fits, and that takes a big hit on your psyche when you’re already feeling pretty low. My maternity style this second time around was tighter rib-knit dresses, two-piece sets. I wasn’t afraid to experiment. I wore a Nike Swim two-piece in my third trimester and just sized up. I got the triangle bikini, and it was holding on for dear life.

One thing I would love to see more of is people supporting women through pregnancy losses.
To talk about that more, and to put supporting loss on par with supporting prepgancy. I think Nike, and all of us, has done a good job of starting to talk about periods and menstrual cycles, to develop products to help support those moments, but I think there's so much more that is involved in the road to motherhood.

Nike's Expanding Pre- and Postpartum Products

The Nike (M) Swoosh Bra has adjustable cups to accommodate wearable breast pumps; proprietary hardware on the straps allows individual strap drop-down for nursing; and the interior lining features Nike Leak Protection: Breast Milk, a special moisture-managing material that helps prevent visible breast milk leaks.

Periods can be a barrier to sport and movement for teens and adults — physically, mentally and emotionally. Knowing this, Nike created Leak Protection: Period, an ultrathin, absorbent liner that helps protect against period leaks to provide extra comfort and confidence. It debuted in the Nike One Leak Protection: Period Short.

Nike has extended its Nike (M) collection, adding a new dress along with refreshed tanks, tops, shorts and tights.

The Nike (M) Swoosh Bra has adjustable cups to accommodate wearable breast pumps; proprietary hardware on the straps allows individual strap drop-down for nursing; and the interior lining features Nike Leak Protection: Breast Milk, a special moisture-managing material that helps prevent visible breast milk leaks.

Periods can be a barrier to sport and movement for teens and adults — physically, mentally and emotionally. Knowing this, Nike created Leak Protection: Period, an ultrathin, absorbent liner that helps protect against period leaks to provide extra comfort and confidence. It debuted in the Nike One Leak Protection: Period Short.

Nike has extended its Nike (M) collection, adding a new dress along with refreshed tanks, tops, shorts and tights.

“[The Nike (M) Swoosh Bra] is physical, mental and emotional freedom to not have to be in the corner of a locked room every two and a half hours to pump."

Michelle Wie-West, champion golfer

What fueled me as a pro golfer was that obsession to get better, to see how good I could be. That drove me through practice and through training and through the hard times. If I didn’t have that single-minded way of thinking, I felt like I wouldn’t reach my potential. And, when I was out there pushing myself — it was fun. There was nothing more fun than playing great golf, knowing that every shot that you hit is going to be good, the putts are going to drop. And when tough times inevitably hit, you’re just trying to get back to those moments again. Throughout my career that’s what I leaned on, an insatiable desire to be back in those moments.

Now, I’ve transferred some of that ambition into my family. My daughter, Makenna, is 4 years old. And I’ve loved seeing the positive impact I can make on her and how she sees the world. You know, when they're younger, you don’t really know what you’re doing, you’re just trying to keep them alive. Now, I can see her trying to emulate me, and I’m focused on being the example I want to set — showing her strong work ethic, how to self-motivate, the power of kindness and empathy. During my golf career, I tried to make bold choices, to not be afraid to fail or make a fool of myself, and those are the values I hope to instill in my daughter, my new baby. And it’s a fun ride. Makenna is just starting sports, and I am introducing her to golf, but also soccer, swimming, and she’s recently gotten into tennis. Really, I'm just her Uber driver at this point.

I remember with Makenna, I was on the range 10 days after giving birth. This time I will not be doing that. I definitely want to get back into running, to do Pilates and strength train and feel strong in my body again. And I still enjoy playing golf! Though tennis is my game at the moment. I’m looking forward to seeing how good I can get at that — and doing it with my daughter.

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