From training and competing to preparing bottles for feedings and changing diapers, some of the Olympians at the Paris Games will be balancing their roles of athletes and parents.
There is the British rower who raised more than $4,000 through GoFundMe to go to Paris 鈥渁s a full-time mom.鈥 The American marathon runner who trained with his daughters鈥 support by the track. The New Zealand rowers who sang children's songs to motivate each other after rough nights waking up to take care of their babies.
There will be some help from organizers this time for athletes in Paris juggling the demands of elite sports with the tasks of parenthood.
The International Olympic Committee and Paris organizers set up what they call the first Olympic Village nursery to allow athletes to be closer to their children and have quality time with them during the Games.
鈥淭he IOC and IOC Athletes鈥 Commission want to ensure that pregnancy and motherhood do not mean a career end in particular for female athletes,鈥 the IOC said. 鈥淭he nursery forms part of an ongoing commitment from the IOC and IOC AC to ensure parent athletes are cared for and supported at the Games.鈥
Organizers said the space is intended 鈥渢o reunite competing moms and dads with their children,鈥 and that it will provide 鈥渕ore complimentary services and products to athletes than ever before at the Olympic and Paralympic Village鈥 through one of the IOC鈥檚 partners that sells diapers.
The IOC, which aims to make the 2024 Olympics the first fully gender-equal Games, said it doesn鈥檛 compile data on how many parents will be competing in Paris, but said it 鈥渨as seeing good interest in the nursery鈥 ahead of the event.
Olympic Village nursery 鈥榓 shift in culture鈥
The nursery is welcome news for parent athletes after restrictions at the Tokyo Olympics caused by the COVID-19 pandemic meant family members weren't allowed to accompany athletes. Canadian basketball player Kim Gaucher complained at the time that the IOC was making athletes choose between the Games and their children, and the IOC eventually allowed breastfeeding mothers to take their children to Japan with them.
Past Games included iconic celebrations by parents with their kids, including American Nia Ali with her young son after winning a silver medal in the 100 meters hurdles at the Rio de Janeiro Olympics.
American Allyson Felix, an 11-time Olympic medalist who often celebrated victories with her children, told CBS that the nursery represents a 鈥渟hift in culture" and a move in 鈥漷he right direction.鈥
"I think it really tells women that you can choose motherhood and also be at the top of your game and not have to miss a beat,鈥 said Felix, who is on the IOC's athletes鈥 commission.
Among the Olympians who may end up using the nursery in Paris are New Zealand rowers Brooke Francis and Lucy Spoors, who will be in the same boat in Paris, both literally 鈥 they are paired in the double sculls category 鈥 and because they both gave birth about two years before the Games.
Before training they often discussed how many times they had to wake up the night before to take care of their babies. And when they were too tired, they sang kids鈥 songs in the boat 鈥 those 鈥渟tuck in our heads," Francis said 鈥 to try to cheer themselves up.
American marathon runner Clayton Young had his daughters help him train by yelling power phrases every time he went by through a grass loop section on his training route. When he clinched his spot at the Olympic trials earlier this year, they were among the first to hug and congratulate him at the finish line.
鈥淜ids take a lot of physical effort and exertion,鈥 Young told The Associated Press. 鈥淢aybe I鈥檓 not sleeping or eating or resting as well as some other professional athletes, but from a mental standpoint, I'm way more grounded and way more present and have a much bigger internal perspective than most athletes.鈥
Athletes seek support from family members and crowdfunding
British rower Mathilda Hodgkins-Byrne turned to GoFundMe to take her young son and her partner to competitions as she tried to qualify for the Games.
鈥淭he funding I receive is enough to help me pay rent, buy food and support with child care,鈥 she said. 鈥淗owever, with the current cost-of-living crisis, it wouldn鈥檛 be enough to fund Freddie and his dad (or grandparents) with travel, accommodation and food at training camps and competitions.鈥
Dutch table tennis player Britt Eerland also resorted to GoFundMe to raise money to make it to the Paris Games after giving birth in March 2023.
鈥淭his campaign aims to show the world that motherhood and elite sports can coexist. By supporting me, we鈥檙e championing the message that mothers can pursue their dreams and excel at the highest levels,鈥 she said on her GoFundMe page. 鈥淲ith your help, I will not only make my dream come true to go to Paris in 2024 but also inspire countless mothers worldwide.鈥
Francis and Spoors will be counting on help from their parents and partners to take care of their kids during the Games. They will all stay at a rented apartment until Francis and Spoors join their teammates at the team hotel and leave the toddlers with their families.
鈥淲e鈥檙e so lucky that we have people that we feel comfortable enough with to have the kids staying with them and know that they鈥檙e safe and happy,鈥 Spoors told the AP. 鈥淏asically it has been a lot of planning and there is an element of a lot of logistics to it.鈥
Spoors said motherhood brought extra physical challenges and made them 鈥渟uper conscious of injury and things like that.鈥
鈥淏ut then obviously the other side of balancing just being a new mom and how to do that and learning what comes with all of that,鈥 she said. 鈥淏asically we have two goals this year: to aim for a gold medal at the Olympics but also to be the best mom that we can be.鈥
Francis said they were 鈥渞eally lucky that we do get to be both moms and sort of have our dream job rowing as well.鈥
鈥淵ou sort of just realize how much of a privilege it is to be able to represent your country and bring your kids along for the ride,鈥 she said.
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