Had fate flipped, Jennifer Lopez wouldn’t be setting the stage on fire, but instead, she’d be lighting up podiums. Surprised? Before she became a ten-time Billboard Latin Music Awards winner, Lopez was an extraordinary athlete. Hard to believe? She revealed on the Las Culturistas podcast, “There were times in my life where I thought I would take the athlete route.” And as if that wasn’t enough to shock the world, she even revealed her personal best, a discovery that might leave many convinced that her talents were never meant to be confined to singing alone.

The singer was chatting candidly with comedians Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang on the Las Culturistas podcast, reflecting on her past, future, and everything in between. During the conversation, Rogers steered the topic toward her athletic past, and the multi-award-winning star revealed that she was once at the top of her game as a sprinter. “I started track when I was in 5th or 6th grade,” Lopez told the hosts.

She further added, “My best mile ever was 4:49–I was for real. I was an athlete–like a little tomboy jock person.” The hosts’ eyes practically popped as she unveiled the truth about her athletic past. And this isn’t the first time she’s shared such a revelation. Back in 2015, Jennifer Lopez, for the very first time, posted a glimpse of her track days on Instagram. As part of the #throwbackthursday trend, she reportedly shared a striking black-and-white photo of herself running at Preston High School in the Bronx, N.Y., where she grew up.

A timing of 4:49 mile in high school would place Lopez at the 247th spot on the global all-time list for U20 women, a remarkable achievement, considering the vast number of athletes competing in track and field worldwide. But when the now 56-year-old was competing in high school, it was in the mid-1980s. With a personal best of 4:49, she would have ranked among the very best, clearly demonstrating collegiate-level speed and perhaps even the talent to pursue a professional track career.

So, is her claim true? Somehow, yes. Netizens took it upon themselves to uncover the truth, and CitusMag founder Chris Chavez discovered certain cutouts of old newspapers featuring Jennifer Lopez’s name, which prove that the singer was indeed an athlete. Well, that’s not all – Jennifer Lopez revealed that she ran even after her pregnancy.

Jennifer Lopez competed in the triathlon after welcoming twins

You heard that right. In her chat with the comedians, the singer revealed she took her postpartum fitness to the next level—so seriously, in fact, that she attempted a marathon after giving birth. She recalled signing up for a triathlon just six months after welcoming her twins, Emme and Max, now 17, whom she shares with ex-husband Marc Anthony, 57.

During a conversation with co-hosts Bowen Yang and Matt Rogers about her love for musical theater, she admitted that she had performed a rendition of Funny Girl’s “You Are Woman, I Am Man” for Anthony’s 40th birthday. Casually, she added with a chuckle, “I had run a triathlon that day. When I was still pregnant, I was like I’m going to do a triathlon when the kids [are born and] after I give birth to get back into shape,” she said. “I was like, I’m giving myself a goal.”

Jennifer Lopez’s triathlon attempt was all thanks to a TV series. The singer revealed that after seeing a TV show that sparked her interest, she searched for triathlons nearby and was excited to find one taking place in Malibu in September 2008. Well, this discovery of her being a former athlete is quite shocking but true. Regardless, what are your thoughts of her?