FEATURE
As for advice for women in sport who are thinking about starting a family, it is tough, but you can make it work. You just have to be more open-minded and adjustable.
With my first child, I struggled coming back because I was just so uncertain about where my body was and how my body felt returning to running, and the sleep loss didn’ t help either to get in routine. But my second child was way easier and the comeback was faster.
The unexpected strength was definitely how great one can cope with very little sleep and still be your best.
One of the clearest is discipline under fatigue. As an athlete, you learn to train when you’ re tired, sore, or not in the mood. Motherhood often asks the same thing!
Another big overlap is mental resilience. In sport, you deal with setbacks. As a mom, challenges come in a different form. It all comes down to the ability to stay calm, adapt, and keep going.
In terms of setting an example, the legacy isn’ t really the achievements – it is more about the values they can learn when watching my journey.
Some of those values are consistency and work ethic, resilience, self-belief and courage … It is also that by continuing my sporting journey, especially while raising a family, shows that it’ s okay to have big goals and to keep pursuing what matters to you.
And maybe most importantly, it’ s about showing them joy and passion. When children see you genuinely love what you do, it gives them permission to find and follow their own passions too.
KARLA PRETORIUS
Proteas netball player and mom to daughter, Kara.
Before motherhood, sport might have felt like the core of who I am. Now, it’ s still important, but it’ s no longer the only defining piece.
Motherhood forced efficiency. Training sessions, recovery, and competition schedules often are more focused and purposeful. My time and energy have become more intentional.
Having a strong support network is the most important thing to have in place. And don’ t compare your journey with others. Your story and journey are uniquely your own!
When I returned to competition back in 2023 after having my daughter, it was both one of the hardest and most empowering phases of my journey. The challenges are and still are real, but so are the strengths that come with it.
Balancing parenthood and everything outside my netball builds a different kind of toughness within me. Mentally I feel stronger and more resilient.
IRVETTE VAN ZYL
Olympic road runner and 50km world record holder( women-only) and mom to sons, Louis and Gideon.
Your whole perspective changes as an athlete. What was once a bit of selfish sport becomes a team sport rather. My kids come first, and then my running and everything is planned around their schedules.
What surprised me was how much you can do as a mother. The ability to juggle many balls at once and make everything work.
In short, my motherhood journey didn’ t replace my athletic identity, it expanded it.
What I found surprising was [ losing ] the sense of control. You can be the most disciplined, structured person but suddenly have to adapt constantly. Babies and kids don’ t follow plans.
Also one’ s own capacity – physically, emotionally, and mentally. You handle things you once thought would break you. You somehow just keep going.
There are a lot of overlaps between being an athlete and a mom.
Being an athlete, you have a bigger tolerance for extreme exhaustion and still continuing, although it feels like you can’ t. That has definitely helped me as a mother.
The example I hope to set for my your children is that through hard work anything is possible. Just keep on believing and mostly enjoy what you do. www. modernathlete. co. za 15