Professional soccer player Ali Riley is partnering with Mira, a company that offers at-home hormone tracking, to draw attention to the challenges athletes face when navigating fertility treatments and hormonal health.
Riley, who plays for Angel City FC and the New Zealand Women’s National Team, has been candid about her ongoing recovery from a serious injury and her decision to pursue IVF. As she steps away from the field, she’s choosing to speak openly about an often-overlooked topic in professional sports: reproductive health.
“So many parts of my life this year have felt up in the air,” Riley said. “But Mira gave me a routine. It gave me concrete information to rely on. When I wasn’t able to play or be with my team, I could still do something for my future—and that was to have the option of having a baby.”
Riley began using Mira to track her hormone levels as she considered her fertility options. She continued using the tool throughout her IVF cycle, describing it as a helpful way to stay informed between doctor’s visits.
“When I saw that I was still in a late reproductive phase, I felt hope,” she said. “And being able to track my levels at home during IVF gave me peace of mind—I wasn’t left wondering what was happening inside my body.”
Mira’s system tracks fertility hormones from home with lab-grade accuracy. One study found that monitoring urine estrogen levels using Mira correlated with IVF egg retrieval outcomes at rates similar to standard blood testing.
Riley’s experience sheds light on broader gaps in how professional sports address women’s health. “Most research in sports medicine is based on men’s bodies,” she said. “There’s a huge lack of education when it comes to fertility, IVF, even menstrual cycles—it’s still taboo in many teams.”
Athletes often face difficult trade-offs between their careers and reproductive decisions, typically navigating fertility treatments during the offseason without consistent support. Riley wants to help others feel empowered in making decisions about their bodies and their families.
“So many of my colleagues are flying blind,” she said. “That has to change.”
To help address the issue, Mira is offering to donate hormone-tracking kits to soccer clubs interested in expanding their health resources for athletes. Clubs can contact the company to learn more. Riley and Mira say the goal is to create more transparency and support for athletes and non-athletes alike who are trying to make informed decisions about their hormonal health.
