West Ham United is delighted to announce the release of Ómarsson – the Club’s original documentary following Dagný Brynjarsdóttir's journey through pregnancy as a professional sportswoman and the barriers female athletes face when making the decision to become a mother.
The documentary is an industry first. It’s a celebration of a lifelong West Ham United fan from Iceland, who followed her dream to not only play for, but captain the team that she loves, telling her story on dealing with the challenges of pregnancy and motherhood as an elite athlete.
With a run-time of just over 30 minutes, the film looks back at notable moments throughout Dagný’s pregnancy journey since she shared the news that she was expecting her second child in August 2023. This includes exclusive new footage from Dagný’s gender reveal, which took place at the Chadwell Heath training ground in October.
Viewers are taken to Dagny’s hometown of Hella, where she relives some of her earliest memories kicking a football with her best friend and fellow West Ham fan, Tómas Steindórsson.
Her mother, Sigrún Anna Ólafsdóttir, husband, Ómar Páll Sigurbjartsson and older sister, Hjördís Guðrún Brynjarsdóttir give heartfelt accounts of when Dagný found out that she was pregnant with her first-born, Brynjar.
Also featuring in the documentary is Gunnar Borgþórsson, Head of Football at UMF Selfoss, who coached Dagný in her early years and supports her when she returns to Iceland during the off-season, as well as throughout both of her pregnancies.
Australian midfielder, Katrina Gorry reveals Dagný’s influence on her decision to make the move to east London, having joined the Hammers in January 2024 accompanied by her young daughter, Harper.
The documentary looks back at a handful of special moments from earlier in Dagný’s career, covering her time at Portland Thorns in the United States of America, as well as Brynjar’s regular visits to Chadwell Heath training ground and the magical moments that the pair have shared at Chigwell Construction Stadium.
It also delves deeper into the struggles and challenges that Dagný, as an elite athlete, has faced both on and off the pitch during her pregnancy.
Speaking ahead of the documentary launch, Dagný shared her appreciation for the support that she has received from everyone at the Club.
“I’m really appreciative to everyone at West Ham United for creating this incredible documentary on my pregnancy journey,” she said.
“Since the moment I shared the news that I was pregnant, I have felt nothing but support from the Club. Whether that be my team-mates, the staff, the fans – everyone, I appreciate it all.
“In my first pregnancy, I had a lot of questions about my future - a lot of people doubted me and said I wouldn’t get back to playing at the highest level.
“I feel as if there is an expectation that I will be back playing after my second pregnancy and I think that shows how times have changed. I’ve done it once before and I am looking forward to doing it again.”
West Ham United Vice-Chair and director of the women’s team Board, Baroness Brady, shared her pride in the Club’s support of Dagný and her pregnancy journey.
Baroness Brady said: “Everyone at West Ham United takes real pride in our role as an equity leader and to be able to celebrate International Women’s Day by sharing this documentary – an industry first and a celebration of ‘one of our own’, is something truly special.
“With the full support of everyone at the Club, Dagný wanted to lead the way in breaking down the stigma that exists around motherhood in elite sport. From watching Ómarsson, it’s clear that Dagný is doing exactly that.
“Dagný is a trailblazer for other women in the game and indeed women everywhere as the film highlights that it is possible to return to work and still succeed at the highest level with a young family – in her case as an elite sportswoman. As a Club, we will continue to support Dagný and her family as she begins her return to the football pitch for the second time.”
Players and staff from West Ham United women’s team were treated to an exclusive premiere screening of the documentary at Curzon Bloomsbury earlier this week, while Dagný and her family watched together from their family home on the outskirts of Hella.
Speaking at the premiere, West Ham United women’s team manager, Rehanne Skinner, described her pride in sharing moments like this with everyone at the Club:
“Since the moment I joined West Ham United last summer, one of the main things that has struck me the most is the sense of togetherness,” she said. “The feeling of being part of something greater than us as individuals. The feeling of being part of a ‘family’.
“It’s examples such as this inspirational documentary that sets West Ham United and ‘the West Ham family’ apart from other clubs.
“On behalf of everyone associated with the women’s team, I would like to give Dagný my very best wishes and we look forward to welcoming her and her family back to east London soon.”
West Ham United continues to champion women in all areas and sectors of the business. The Club’s 2023 Gender Pay Report showed that the mean gender pay gap, when male first-team players, management and coaches are removed, is -1% and, for the seventh consecutive year running, is in favour of women. This figure is more favourable than the current national pay gap at 14.9%.
You can watch the full 30-minute documentary by clicking on the video player above.
