Just four months after giving birth to her first child, soccer super star Martin Franko is ready to hit the field again - and she scored the first goal of the season for the Vancouver Whitecaps to prove it.
After starting her 50th game for the Whitecaps, Franko headed the ball into the net during the second half of the game on Sunday (May 30) giving the Whitecaps a 1-0 lead against the Colorado Force.
"It's nice to have my body back and to be able to run around and play soccer again and to have the competition again," said the striker. "It's fun to play again."
With what little spare time the new mother had, Franko said she spent much of the winter running, skate skiing and mountain biking to stay in shape. She's treated her post-pregnancy body like a common injury, pushing herself but not doing too much too soon.
"I've been out for close to a year, and I think for anyone coming back from not playing for a year it's going to be you just have to take it slow and build your strength slowly so you don't injure yourself.
"Coming back from a baby, the main difference is that your ligaments are much looser and you have to be careful."
Although she's fit enough to play, Franko said she hopes it will take her just two or three games to get back into the full swing of things.
"Being game fit and the quickness and all that hasn't come back, but I'm hoping [it will] in the next couple of weeks."
To get some serious training time in, Franko started practicing with the women's team again just a few weeks ago, and it was a happy reunion.
"I'm excited because there's a handful of National Team players so it's really fun to see everyone after I haven't seen them for a year. It's kind of a nice surprise that so many people were returning to the Whitecaps."
When asked if she and a few other returning members, like Melissa Tancredi planned to return to the Whitecaps simultaneously, Franko laughed, saying it was all just a coincidence.
"It was just an extra bonus knowing that there were a bunch of players that I hadn't seen in a year or two."
Franko said she's also eager to have her son Micah join her husband at the games, although she's not exactly sure how newborn will reacte to the lengthy games.
"I'm looking forward to see how the experience goes for the both of us, hopefully it will be a positive experience," she said.
"So that's what I'm really looking forward to and eager to hope that it will be possible."
When Franko isn't sporting a Whitecaps jersey, she's coaching the Quest University women's soccer team. With the added experience and depth of the returning team, Franko has high hopes for the women's Kermode soccer team.
"Everyone had a year now at that level of college play and then added that depth of new recruits, hopefully we'll win a lot more games and the goal would be to make the provincials."
