She announced her retirement from athletics in 2016, two years after giving birth to her first child.
But despite a glittering Olympics career, Dame Jessica Ennis-Hill has told how the sporting industry gives no ‘guidance’ to pregnant athletes and ‘judges’ mothers who return after giving birth.
The former sportswoman, 38, who won gold in the Heptathlon at the 2012 Olympics, says female athletes are forced to find their ‘own way through’ or rely on the advice of peers as no advice comes from ‘the top’.
Dame Jessica gave birth to son Reggie, nine, in 2014, and retired two years later. She announced that she was pregnant with daughter Olivia, six, just a few months after she stepped back from athletics.
‘Nothing came from the top. No one came to me and said, ‘Well, this is, like, the package,’ [or] ‘Here’s how we’re going to support you,’ she told Women’s Health.
Despite a glittering Olympics career, Dame Jessica Ennis-Hill has told how the sporting industry gives no ‘guidance’ to pregnant athletes and ‘judges’ mothers who return after giving birth
The Olympic gold medalist gave birth to son Reggie, nine, in 2014, and retired two years later. She announced that she was pregnant with daughter Olivia, six, just a few months after she stepped back from athletics
‘It’s still a bit of a grey area where you just have to find your own way through.
‘When Laura [Kenny] got pregnant, we chatted and she asked how I did it and some of the learnings. But she was doing that off her own back and, you know, seeking me out.’
Dame Jessica said she ‘naively’ thought she’d be able to return to training after having a ‘little break’ following the birth of Reggie, but soon realised she ‘wasn’t the same person’.
‘As soon as you have your first child, you change completely. I wasn’t the same person,’ she said.
‘I was still very driven and I still wanted to finish my career. But I didn’t want to do it at the expense of not seeing my son and having quality time with him.’
She said the female athletes are judged ‘in a different way’ to male athletes when they return to training after having a child.
‘I do think that, as a woman, you feel judged in a different way than a man having his first child and coming back to sport,’ she said.
‘Someone who works at the track, I remember [them] just looking at me thinking, ‘What are you doing’ and ‘You shouldn’t be running’.
The former sportswoman, 38, who won gold in the Heptathlon at the 2012 Olympics, says female athletes are forced to find their ‘own way through’ or rely on the advice of peers as no advice comes from ‘the top’
Dame Jessica said she ‘naively’ thought she’d be able to return to training after having a ‘little break’ following the birth of Reggie, but soon realised she ‘wasn’t the same person’ (pictured 2015)
She said the female athletes are judged ‘in a different way’ to male athletes when they return to training after having a child
‘I think, as a female athlete, when you come back, there are a lot of questions. Whereas a male athlete coming back after having his first child? [It’s like], ‘let’s just crack on’.’
Dame Jessica said that any conversations about women’s health are ‘uncomfortable’ to have in sports as it’s still such a ‘male-dominated area’.
She said: ‘I think a lot of athletes feel like it’s a weakness as well to say, ‘Oh, actually, my period has changed,’ or, ‘My energy levels are up and down.’
Dame Laura Kenny recently announced her retirement from cycling after having her second child, realising she wanted ‘a baby’ and not ‘gold medals’.
The full Jessica Ennis-Hill interview is available to Women’s Health Collective members on the WH app now, or in the magazine from July 2.
Read More: World News | Entertainment News | Celeb News
Mail Online
