Helen Glover says being a mother makes the Olympics “harder” for her than for others because it cuts into her training time.
The 38-year-old British rower and gold medallist opened up to Radio times on how to balance her elite sports career with motherhood.
Helen is married to TV naturalist Steve Backshall and they share children: Logan, born in 2018, and twins Kit and Willow, born in 2020.
She had initially retired after the Rio Olympics in 2016, where she won a second gold medal with partner Heather Stanning, but returned for Tokyo in 2021.
Heather told the Radio Times that being a mother of three has made her quest for another medal more difficult, but that her priority is to “be there” for her children.
Helen Glover says being a mother makes the Olympics “harder” for her than for others as it cuts into her training time
Helen has children, Logan, born in 2018, and twins Kit and Willow, born in 2020 (pictured together).
She said: ‘This makes my day a lot harder, because I’m doing the same workout as everyone else, just three hours less.
“But part of being the best mom I can be is being present. So even if I’m stressed or tired, I see the kids’ faces light up when I’m at the school gate. Every time I do that, I feel like I’ve found the right balance.”
At Tokyo 2021, Helen became the first mother to row for Team GB, finishing fourth.
The double gold medallist is competing in her fourth Games in Paris, competing with Rebecca Shorten, Esme Booth and Sam Redgrave, with the final round taking place on 1 August.
Despite her rigorous training schedule, Helen’s “non-negotiable” rule is that she finishes her training at 3 p.m. to pick up her children from school.
“A lot of men in the British team have children and it’s not talked about because it doesn’t change anything,” he added.
“And their careers are expected to be longer than those of the women. But hopefully the most important thing about these Games is that many of the competitors will return after having children.
‘Especially for my little girl. So that she feels deep down that she can and should do it, and that there is a place in the world for her no matter what she wants to do.
Gold medallists Helen Glover (right) and Heather Stanning (left) of Great Britain pose for photographs after the medal ceremony in Rio, 2016.
”The other day Kit asked me, ‘Mom, can boys row?’ I thought that was great, because I’ve been asked about 100 times by strangers on the street if women can row.’
Helen won her first Olympic gold in the women’s coxless pairs at London 2012.
You can read Helen’s full interview with Radio Times this week.
She had previously been training to become a teacher and had never rowed until she was 21, when London won the bid to host the Olympics.
Just a few years later, she was ranked the world’s number one rower in 2015-2016, and is now a three-time world champion.
Paris 2024 is her fourth consecutive Olympic Games, and she even had the honour of being the flag bearer alongside Tom Daley at the opening ceremony.
Helen previously revealed how becoming a mother has improved her career, despite experiencing “massive mum guilt”.
The athlete told BBC Woman’s Hour: “It’s also the factor that takes the pressure off me. It’s knowing that I can cross the line and my children might not even know, or care, where I’ve landed.”
“They just want to give me a hug and I think that’s really liberating.”
Speaking to presenter Anita Rani, Helen explained: ‘Physically, I think I’m better than I’ve ever been.
Helen is able to better balance childcare and her career thanks to her husband, explorer and television personality Steve Backshall.
She was the flag bearer alongside Tom Daley at the opening ceremony of Paris 2024
‘I will soon be 38 years old, I have three children, I am not in the optimal state of life balance that one might imagine an athlete to have, but I am achieving better personal results and I am better than ever.
‘I truly believe that there is something that changes within you. I think that I am relieved of pressure, because I can come home to my children and forget that I am a rower. The balance in life is different, but it is definitely working for me.
She continued: ‘Basically, I haven’t really changed, I’m just as competitive, but I almost feel like I have an extra edge.’
“I’m going to go out there and try to make myself proud, but at the end of the day, it puts everything in perspective, and for me it’s not all about sport.”
He added: “Looking at my teammates, I think probably most of them won’t choose to come back after having families, but every single one of them should have the choice, and I think the choice is the most liberating thing.”
Great Britain’s Helen Glover, Esme Booth, Sam Redgrave and Rebecca Shorten compete in the women’s fours rowing heat at the 2024 Summer Olympics
In 2021, Helen became the first mother to row for Team GB after giving birth to son Logan in 2018 and twins Kit and Bo in 2020.
The pressure of training three times a day, twice with team-mates, has meant Helen has had to alternate time with her sons, Logan, five, and twins Kit and Bo, four.
But while she longs to be the best teammate for her crew, she also wants to be the best mother she can be.
However, Helen is able to better balance childcare and her career thanks to her husband, explorer and television personality Steve Backshall.
Helen added: ‘We’ve come to a flexible arrangement in the afternoon so I always do the school pick-up.’
“We always try to make sure one of us is at home, our children are the most important thing and work comes second,” Helen said.
He added: “From now until the Olympics, Steve will be home and in charge. He’s made this work and he’s put things aside to make it happen.”
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