Professional soccer player Ayano Dozono never had to face the difficult choice between family and career many female athletes cannot avoid.
This spring, her Spanish women's second-tier club Real Union de Tenerife re-signed the Japanese midfielder for the 2021-2022 season knowing she was pregnant, saying it reflects the team's culture of equality and support for women.
For her part, Dozono wants to prove motherhood and elite-level sports can go hand-in-hand with the right support and be an inspiration to girls, women and mothers everywhere.