Chatting with Breathe, celebrated multi-Olympians Genevieve Gregson, Keesja Gofers, and Alyce Wood discuss the dedication and resilience needed to balance motherhood and career.
Leading a mission of celebrating and supporting parents, they understand firsthand the challenges and joys of this balancing act.
Can you tell us about your journey into motherhood and how it intersected with your athletic career?
Alyce: Starting a family was incredibly important to my husband and I post the Tokyo Olympics, but I knew I wasn’t ready to hang up the paddle. I was originally quite worried about the feasibility of this and whether it was worth the sacrifice, but ultimately we decided that bringing Florence into a world surrounded by my teammates who chase their dreams every day was the right decision.
What was your journey back into elite-level form and what motivated your return?
Keesja: Without a doubt, I could not have done this without the unrelenting support of my husband and my mum. My daughter is my motivation. Recently, I brought T [Teleri] to the AIS [Australian Institute of Sport] for a national team camp, and having my daughter see and be around the inspiring, strong female athletes day in and day out cemented that it has been the right decision. Women/mothers should have the choice to go after their goals. I am lucky enough to have the support to do that.
Did you encounter any unique challenges, obstacles or barriers as a mother returning to competition and how did you navigate them?
Alyce: Balancing the expectations of a being a new mum and an athlete has been challenging. On one hand, there are so many social pressures on new mums to feed, change, bathe, nurse, and be incredibly present in every moment of their baby’s life. Then on the other hand, I am on a strict timeline in the lead up to Paris, which requires me to be selfish at times and lean heavily on my support network. The guilt pulling me both ways has been real, but it’s also taught me how to prioritise my time and energy.
Can you share any strategies you used to manage stress or maintain resilience?
Genevieve: I think any time I feel overwhelmed and stressed when trying to be a super-mum and super-athlete I take a step back and focus on recovery. I am naturally someone who goes full throttle and has an abundance of energy, so I’ll find myself cleaning the house in between sessions and during the baby’s naptime. When I start to feel stressed, I know it’s because I have taken on too much, so I try to schedule more naps or go to bed earlier, or just slow down in general. It always makes me feel better.
Keesja: I get strength from my “Why”, which is showing my daughter that tough things can be overcome. I also like to set small goals. When I was completely sleep deprived, the goal was to get up with the alarm – sometimes at 5 am – and get to the pool. Once I’m there, then I give all that I can give. I figure, even if I feel below my best, if I give as much as I can then that’s my 100 percent for that day.
In what ways do you think your experiences as a mother have enriched your athletic career?
Genevieve: I make all my big races a family affair now and everyone comes along for the ride. This has helped me relax so much around races and ultimately allowed me to have some amazing results. I used to treat running as an individual sport, whereas now I have a team wherever we go and it’s so much more fun.
Can you share any specific strategies or initiatives you have for time-poor parents to adopt healthier habits?
Keesja: Plan ahead. People, especially parents, make so many decisions every day, and that can be exhausting. I plan ahead as much as I can, whether it is packing my training bag the night before or writing out my schedule for the week and getting some meals ready in advance. It has helped me stay on top of the decisions I was making around food in particular, so I wasn’t making them with limited options (like at a food court) or when hungry and tired.
Fitness can be social. You can interact and engage with other people, whether strangers or friends. Outside of water polo, I like to catch up with friends where we do Pilates or go for a walk (or some form of exercise) and then get a coffee.
Be kind to yourself. You’re going to make mistakes for whatever reason, be it skipping a gym session or making poor food choices. It’s being human. Give yourself a break and try again next time.
How has your experience as a mother influenced your approach to training and competition?
Alyce: Kids teach you that you don’t need to sweat the small stuff. When they’re learning to walk they fall over a thousand times, but get up a thousand more, always with a smile on their face and so much determination. This is now how I approach my training. It’s unrealistic to think I am going to produce personal bests every day, so rather than get caught up in negative energy when I have a bad session, I address the issue and get up and go again.
Genevieve: I know when to pull back now, which I never used to do, and I know to not get too obsessed with performance. There is so much more to my life than my results now.
What do you believe are the most significant values that the Olympics promote, and how do you embody them, especially since becoming a mum?
Keesja: ‘The most important thing in the Olympic Games is not winning but taking part; the essential thing in life is not conquering but fighting well.’ Said by the founder of the modern games, Pierre de Coubertin, I think my journey back into sports as a mum really embodies just that. I desperately want to win an Olympic medal – I can’t push that enough – but by taking part, I am hopefully showing T and other female athletes that sport and family don’t have to be mutually exclusive and that if you have a goal and a dream, you can make it happen.
What advice can you give to working mums of young children when it comes to the internal tug of war – competing priorities between career and family?
Alyce: Everyone’s journey is so unique, so don’t try and model yourself off someone else’s priorities and expectations. My best advice is to give yourself permission to have a laundry full of dirty clothes, or a child wearing odd socks to daycare. Be flexible, laugh at yourself sometimes, and enjoy the little moments.
Keesja: Mum guilt is real. I can only speak to my own experience, but the way I see it is that by doing what I am doing, my daughter will have a role model that she is proud of. It really does take a village to raise a child, so I know, when I am not there, that my village of people is doing a great job looking after her and letting her know how loved and cared for she is.
Will your family take the journey to Paris whilst you compete on the world stage?
Genevieve: 100% – everyone booked before I had even qualified. Very risky? Or unwavering belief?
Keesja: My husband, Scott, our baby, Teleri, my mum, Arlene, my sister, Taniele, and her partner, Lasse, will all be coming to cheer me on in Paris! I have many other important people back home, including my husband’s parents, who will be looking after our doggo, Magic. I’m lucky to have the best support crew in the whole world!
Alyce: They sure will! My husband, who himself is a two-time Olympian, will be there with Florence, along with my mum, dad, sister, brother, and their partners.
Bellamy’s Organic is an Official Partner of the Australian Olympic Team for the Olympic Games Paris 2024. The collaboration between Bellamy’s Organic and the Australian Olympic Team spotlights the importance of organic choices in fostering healthy growth, and the brand’s commitment to nurturing little champions.
For more information visit:
