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Mother’s Day Olympians

Posted May 12, 2008 at 01:43 PM by Michael J. Sedor

Section: Beijing 2008, Culture/History, Human Interest, Socio-Political, Events, Basketball, Soccer, Softball, Featured Writers, Michael Sedor

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Did you get your mother a card and some flowers for her special day? Well here’s another gift from the summerolympian.com: a slew of Mother’s Day story links from the many Olympic mothers.

On ESPN.com’s Page 2 Mary Buckheit tells the incredible story of six U.S. Soccer stars past and present who have managed to keep their active roster spot after giving birth. She cites the remarkable story Joy Fawcett who managed to play every single minute of three World Cups and two Olympics from 1994-2003 while in the same time period having three children. Fawcett has served as a shining example of motherhood possibilities to soccer team members. No longer would they have to sacrifice one dream (athletic success) in order to achieve another dream (parenthood).

Her article continues by looking at Tina Ellertson, a world-class defender who gave birth to her second daughter two Sundays ago. While Ellertson’s talent is nonpareil her chance to regain her playing edge in two months is precarious. Her attitude, however, is completely positive. On Sunday she explained to the Seatlle Times “I look at my daughter Mya and said, ‘OK, she’s amazing and beautiful.’ Playing in the Olympics is something I will do, whether it’s in August or four years from now. I feel like I’m pretty lucky.”

The shift towards accepting athlete mothers is a relatively new concept. For example, the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs just added family quarters in in athlete residences THIS YEAR! Prior to that athlete mothers were out of luck.

U.S.A. Softball mothers have had another recourse: take the kids on the road. As the San Francisco Bay Area’s NBC11 explained this year’s team is a veritable nursery on wheels. Three team members - star pitchers Lisa Fernandez and Jennie Finch, and catcher Stacey Neumann - have brought along their kids on the 46-stop “Bound 4 Beijing” barnstorming tour. U.S.A. Softball thankfully provides the athlete mothers and their children rooms of their own instead of the customary roommate method.

The Sydney Daily Telegraph’s article Olympians’ Mother of a Sacrifice recounts how dozens of Australian Olympic aspirants are spending Mother’s Day away from their family while training for the Beijing Games. The article explains the separation anxiety and guilt that many athletes face while gunning for their lifelong dream. But basketballer Rohanee Cox summaries our feelings perfectly by adding that athlete mums who juggle their responsibilities are living proof that mothers can do anything.

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Tags: 2008, athletes, basketball, beijing, china, mother's day, mothers, olympics, rohanee cox, soccer, softball, tina ellertson

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