Super Moms at 2020 Olympics

If returning to work after giving birth itself is very challenging for a woman, imagine what it takes to prepare for the Olympics after you’ve given birth to your child. Like every time, this Olympics set to happen in Tokyo in a few days boasts of athletes who are not only gunning for the gold, but also re-establishing what mothers can do.

And superseding challenges, both professionally and personally, by displaying an indomitable spirit and dedication, these exceptional mothers are giving the Next Gen a run for their money. Whether it was Sania Mirza, Mary Kom, Allyson Felix, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce or Alex Morgan, mum athletes are defying all odds and exhibiting great grit in getting going.

Sania Mirza

The challenge of training

Anju Bobby, who made history in Indian athletics by winning a first medal (bronze) at the 2003 World Championships in Athletics in Paris, asserts that it is extremely challenging for a woman to train after becoming a mother.

Adding that a mother has to take care of kids on one side while managing work on the other side, she states, “After my first baby, I tried participating in the Olympics, but I just couldn’t make it because it was so physically taxing. Moreover, I was injured so there was too much happening them.”

Anju also points to the fact that after a woman’s delivery, the body doesn’t respond the way it did earlier. “What if there is an injury in the middle? Sometimes as you age it is difficult and takes more time to recover. Meanwhile, kids demand time and it is very difficult to maintain focus. Before marriage, the sole focus would be on training and schedule, but after becoming a mother, the attention needs to be equally divided on kids,” she elaborates.

Anju Bobby

Nevertheless, Anju is proud of Sania Mirza and Mary Kom for their stupendous efforts and successes. “I think only women can handle anything in this world,” quips Anju, who is currently the Senior Vice President, Athletics Federation of India (AFI).

Family support crucial

The dedication athletes are expected to maintain in managing training and fitness programmes, in addition to the pressures of performing well at global tournaments, causes many to turn to their families for support.

Karnam Malleswari, the first Indian woman to win a medal (bronze) at the 2000 Sydney Olympics, recalls how she had to seek family support to be strong emotionally. She participated in Athens Olympics (2004) as a mother after her elder kid was born.

“Just three months before the Athens Olympics, I went to Russia for training and had to stay away from my family for some time to continue my workouts and practice sessions being away,” she explains. Then, adding that balancing professional and personal life was extremely challenging, she tells us that she managed to do it all only because of her family’s support she got.

Allyson

Mental fortitude

In addition to the high-level physical training, athletes need to importantly stay as strong, mentally. While it takes extraordinary grit and resilience for anyone to not get carried away by other influences, it increases exponentially for athletes who are mothers.

Shelly

Venkatesh Devarajan, former boxing World Cup bronze medal winner and current national selector, believes that combat sports like boxing require incredible mental power. So also, he is wonderstruck at how Mary Kom has been training over the last two decades.

Venkatesh Devarajan

“I have to say Mary Kom is an extraordinary woman. Her resolve to excel even at this age amazes me; being a mother makes things all the more difficult for her because maintaining one’s fitness, weight, etc. are challenging for women after entering motherhood. And then she manages to win medals since 2000 and remain consistent over the years. She amazes me,” adds Devarajan.

“It’s very tough for mothers to push the envelope and only those with sheer mental grit can survive. I’ve seen Mary Kom overcoming several hurdles as a mum even as she trains hard during the pandemic, too. She knows what it takes to be right on top.”

PV Sindhu and Srikanth Verma

The key to prep is staying injury free

It is extremely challenging preparing for the Olympics because it is a completely different task. But for any woman, the key to prep is staying injury-free. PV Sindhu never shied away from pushing the envelope in training. I have designed a long-term training program in such a way that it suits her body type. I incorporated the necessary changes to the programme based on how her body reacted to the exercises. I’ve also prepared her mentally so that she gives her best shot on the big stage. Injury management, high-volume training and high-intensity workouts based on period assessment over the last four years have been the key to her training," says Srikanth Verma, PV Sindhu’s strength and conditioning trainer