Period pain is real, and some 80% of people experience it. Yet stigmas often prevent open discussions about period-related discomfort.
Not for U.S. figure skater Amber Glenn, though.
Following a frustrating showing in a qualifying round of skating at the 2026 Olympic Games, Glenn was asked about her performance, and used the moment as an opportunity to speak out on a normally taboo subject.
“I’m on my period right now, so it’s always really hard, especially when you have to perform in front of the whole world. It’s scary, and it makes you extra emotional, and it’s hard. And you have to go be an athlete” despite how you feel, she said at the press conference.
In addition to physical period pain, mental and emotional symptoms are also quite common, with many sufferers citing irritability, distress and more while menstruating.
Glenn also noted some balance issues on her part, saying that she felt “a little bit noodlely” while on the ice. But rather than lamenting the loss of a medal, Glenn said she was simply “devastated that I lost the happiness and the enjoyment that I wanted to have out there on the ice…that’s what I truly wanted, and that’s what I missed out on.”
She did recover from her disastrous qualifier skate, however, ultimately ranking fifth overall among her fellow Olympians.
Throughout her time at the Milan Cortina Games, Glenn has been vocal on a number of issues, including the ways in which President Donald Trump’s policies and tone have negatively impacted members of the LGBTQ community – of which she is part, as Glenn identifies as bisexual – and the lack of privacy athletes are afforded during emotionally difficult moments.
Glenn sees importance in being outspoken with the platform she’s been given. With regards to spotlighting the reality of period pain specifically, she noted that “it’s something that we don’t really talk about a lot for female athletes – and I think it should be a topic of discussion.”
And as far as taking part in broader discussions, “I’m going to keep speaking my truth,” she told The Atlantic in a recent interview. “I’m gonna keep representing what I believe in, and what I think all Americans believe in, which is freedom and being able to love and do what you want.”
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