Claressa Shields, the two-time Olympic gold medalist and undisputed world champion, is making ready for a brand new chapter in 2026—motherhood.

Appearing on The Pivot Podcast, the 29-year-old boxer revealed that she and rapper Papoose have mapped out plans to begin a household subsequent yr. For Shields, the timing isn’t a detour from her profession—it’s a part of the identical rigorously constructed technique she’s lengthy utilized contained in the ring. “I’m gonna have a baby next year,” she stated. “We already had it planned out. I’m gonna have baby next year.”

Shields plans motherhood with champion precision

Her tone, regular and intentional, spoke volumes about how severely she’s approaching this transition. She added that after she provides start, she plans to return to boxing earlier than doubtlessly increasing her household additional. “And then after I go through my stuff, then I’ll come back and fight and fight some more, and then probably have another one and then do the same thing again.”

Shields made clear that age is a think about her determination. She said, “Like, I don’t want to wait till I’m, you know, 40, 43, whatever, after my career, to have my kids. I want to be able to run at the park with my kids and stuff like that. I want to be too old.”

She credited her clear way of life as a profit going into the method. “So I think that keeping my body in shape. I don’t drink, I don’t smoke. I think that that’ll also help me too when I’m going… So I think that keeping my body in shape—I don’t drink, I don’t smoke—I think that’ll also help me too when I’m going through this whole body and life changing stuff or, you know, whatever, next year.” For Shields, it’s a future as calculated as any title protection: one which balances each gloves and progress.