Brazilian volleyball player Priscila Heldes defies stereotypes by continuing her professional career while five months pregnant. At the age of 35, and as captain of Brazil’s Fluminense, Priscila became a trend on social networks after a video went viral showing her playing with a visible pregnancy during the quarterfinals of the Brazil 2025 Cup.
Far from being an imprudent decision, her participation in the season is medically supported. Since receiving the news of her pregnancy, the player has been monitored by specialists who endorse her physical activity as long as there are no complications. “Since I found out I was pregnant, I went to the doctor. She told me: ‘If you’re fine, keep going, go all out!'”, declared Priscila Heldes in an interview with Marie Claire Brazil magazine.
Discipline and medical support
Priscila Heldes, almost six months pregnant, has adapted her training and playing style.
It avoids sudden falls, impacts on the abdomen and risky movements.
Obviamente no salto como antes, y me cuido de no caer con la panza. Pero sigo con energía
Priscila Heldes
The player is undergoing rigorous obstetric follow-up and has been given the green light to compete as long as she maintains precautions.
Specialists in sports medicine and obstetrics agree that, in uncomplicated pregnancies, moderate and adapted physical activity is not only safe, but even beneficial for both mother and baby.
Cases such as that of Priscila Heldes make visible the right of women to decide about their bodies without giving in to social pressures or prejudices.
Inspirational voice
Buzzy
Far from stopping, Priscila Heldes finds this process a powerful stage:
“It is very special to live this moment with my son Emanuel. I know that later on I will be able to tell him that we were on the court together,” she said excitedly.
The athlete has also received a wave of support, especially from women who see her as an example of autonomy, strength and determination.
Her story, while controversial to some conservative sectors, adds to the global conversation about motherhood, women’s health and professional sports.
For the Hispanic community in the United States, where many women face cultural and labor barriers during pregnancy, the case of Priscila Heldes is a real example that motherhood is not synonymous with limits, but an extension of feminine strength.
For more information, visit QuéOnnda.com.
