Olympic Champion Figure Skater to Fertility Advocate: What Tara Lipinski Learned while Unexpecting

Written By Lora Shahine, MD

No two fertility journeys are alike, but Tara Lipinski’s experience is perhaps even more unique than most. The champion, gold-medal-ice-skater-turned-sports-analyst was 35 and still not necessarily ready to start building her family. So she decided to put her options “on ice” — literally preserving eggs and/or embryos until she and her husband Todd were ready.

However, the process turned out to be more complicated than it appeared when a diagnosis of endometriosis sent them down a different path. 

What followed was two surgeries, four miscarriages, six failed transfers, and five years of treatment, hope, and heartbreak.

Spoiler alert: perfect Georgie was born in 2023, so there is a happy ending, but the picture on Instagram of Tara, curled up on her couch, heart-broken and clutching pregnancy tests, sent waves through the fertility community. Here was a very public figure speaking very publicly about her struggles to build her family.

Please listen and share to help us continue the conversation.

In this episode you’ll hear:

[00:00] Intro

[07:74] Why Tara and Todd shared their story on their Unexpecting podcast

[13:19] How did Tara’s athletic career prepare her and NOT prepare her for infertility 

[19:51] Reflecting on relationships through infertility, men vs. women on coping

[30:02]When to share and not share the fertility journey 

[34:53] When we are surprised by infertility

[38:01] Misconceptions and reality about surrogacy

[46:12] Instagram Questions

  Amanda: Did you and Todd ever consider giving up?

  Marena: How did you and Todd keep going?

  Dana: Advice to someone who is struggling with infertility?

[55:21] Outro and Finding Tara and her podcast

Resources mentioned: 

Tara on Instagram:@taralipinski

Tara Lipinski: taralipinski.com

Tara Lipinski: Unexpecting Tara and Todd’s podcast

Babyquest Foundation Fertility Grants: https://babyquestfoundation.org/

Sunfish financial solutions for fertility treatment:joinsunfish.com

Stay Up to Date in Fertility News and Events:  Weekly Newsletter

Follow @drlorashahine Instagram | YouTube | Tiktok | Her Books  

Lora Shahine, MD

Dr. Lora Shahine, reproductive endocrinologist at Pacific NW Fertility and Clinical Assistant Professor at the University of Washington in Seattle, completed her residency in OBGYN at the University of California in San Francisco and fellowship in reproductive endocrinology at Stanford University. She is dedicated to educating and advocating for increased awareness of infertility, miscarriage, and the impact on environmental toxins on health through an active social media presence, teaching, clinical research, and authoring multiple blogs and books including best selling, ‘Not Broken: An Approachable Guide to Miscarriage and Recurrent Pregnancy Loss.’

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