Michelle Wie West is making her first LPGA Tour start at this week’s Kia Classic since she gave birth to her daughter, Makenna, last June. Prior to welcoming Makenna, Wie West was battling a lingering wrist injury with an uncertain future in professional golf.
Anticipation for Wie West’s return to the tour has been sky-high, and in her pre-tournament press conference, Wie West fielded a lot of questions about how being a new mom has affected everything in her life, from her training regimen to her newfound practice efficiency.
Michelle Wie West returns to LPGA with newfound motivation: her daughter
“It’s pretty amazing how, like, hours-wise, how much less [time] I put in than before,” Wie West said. “But I’ve been talking to my friends, fellow mom Jane Park, and we were talking about it. We really only have at the max two hours to practice and just being hyper-focused, not even looking at your phone not even once and just knowing what you have to do. So it’s been a lot more efficient.”
Wie West welcomed her daughter during during the middle of the Covid-19 pandemic — a trying time for everyone, but especially new moms. When Wie West was asked about how she coped, she gave a thoughtful answer about how carving out time for herself became a new priority.
“Taking time out of the day to focus on me has been super important,” Wie-West said. “It’s kept me sane. Really utilizing [Makenna’s] nap times, just been working out on my Tonal. That one hour that I have I usually do like a quick 30-minute Tonal workout and been really getting into yoga and Pilates.
“Felt like the days where things get a little hectic when she naps and I would have some peace and quiet and I get to do a little quick yoga or Pilates class, it just refreshes me,” Wie West continued. “And also just making sure that I eat right. Still strangely have all my pregnancy cravings, so making sure I have a nice slice of cake now and then.
“I think during this quarantine time and being a new mom, I think learning to be forgiving to myself and to just kind of let things go, let things happen the way they should happen has definitely been a learning curve for me.”
That’s sage advice for anyone, new parent or not.
