ESPN Body Issue 2013: Kerry Jennings Loses Baby Weight in Two Months for Revealing Shoot (PHOTO)
The ESPN Body Issue is known for showing athletes at their peak levels of fitness, but for professional beach volleyball player Kerry Walsh Jennings- the experience was different.
Now a mother of three, the 34-year-old former Olympic gold medalist was nine months pregnant when she sat down on her first photo shoot for the ESPN Body Issue. While competing through pregnancy didn't seem to deter the athlete, she was five weeks pregnant while she was competing in the 2012 Olympics, she admitted she was nervous about having her picture taken.
"It's such a scary thing," Jennings said during for her first shoot in the magazine. "It's the body issue. Its people who are strong and at the peak of their fitness and look at me. Here I'm nine months pregnant."
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To make things even more complicated, Jennings was asked to come back for a second shoot after she had her baby. She gave birth to Scout Margery on April 6th. Two months later, she returned to the ESPN with the expectation that her "more typical beach volleyball athlete" form would have returned.
"The theory is that I'll be more back to my playing form," Jennings joked during the first photo shoot. "We'll see how that adventure goes."
But two months came and went, Jennings gave birth, and then returned back to her sport. Jennings explained that she lifted while she was pregnant and felt "stronger" about her come back.
I thought I was nervous last time for the last shoot, but this whole week I've been a nervous wreck for this shoots. It's scary as h---. So much scarier," Jennings commented during her second shoot. "When I was pregnant I felt like I was in costume almost because it was such a foreign body to me. Now I'm in the Body Issue and my body isn't where I want it to be so I'm a little more vulnerable."
Jennings admitted that she was 15 pounds heavier than her normal weight still and lacking tone, but explained that she committed to the shoot hoping to inspire.
"I don't want people to think I'm showing off. But I am proud of my body and I hope people can find inspiration," the athlete told ESPN. "People can look at me and say 'oh you can get your body back at some point after post partum' and so hopefully I'm part of that process and can help their mind set to know that you'll get there eventually."
"When people see me pregnant and post pregnancy I just hope they realize how much power there is in the female form," she added.
