To be an athlete mother can represent a great challenge in the world of sports and the Olympic Games. The Tokyo 2020 Olympics marked a pivotal moment in the field of parenting in sportsbut it is with Paris 2024 that the real turning point comes.
Just outside the perimeter of the Olympic Villagefour years ago, there was a special room where athletes with small children could take care of their newborns. However, restrictions due to the containment of the Covid-19 pandemic limited the little ones and assistants who could not access the Olympic Village. This made it difficult for athletes to visit their children, if they were ever allowed to travel with them.
Bad Paris Olympics 2024 are different. The athletes expressed their enthusiasm for the Village Nursery, a facility in the Olympic Village: the first nursery school for parents of Olympic and Paralympic athletes.
The initiative was launched by the Athletes’ Commission of the International Olympic Committee in collaboration with the IOC and the Paris 2024 Organising Committee and with partner P&G.
How Village Nursery Works in Paris
Athletes can book private or shared appointments at the facility, in the heart of the Village Plaza, which can accommodate up to six family membersHere, they have access to private breastfeeding spaces, a family lounge to spend their free time with, and a changing table dedicated to newborns.
The project is part of the partnership with P&G which has thus contributed to meeting the daily needs of approximately 22,250 athletes and staff of the Olympic and Paralympic Villageoffering the support of a nursery within the Olympic Village: “a comfortable and practical environment for athlete parents to spend time with their babies and toddlers during the Games. With the support of the Pampers brand, a Fater brand (JV between P&G and Angelini), the nursery in the Olympic Village will provide access to high-quality diapers and wipeswhile also providing a space for play and family bonding,” it said in a statement.
The nursery, which is part of the ongoing commitment of the IOC and the IOC Athletes’ Commission to ensure that athletes’ parents are cared for and supported during the Gamesis conveniently located in the non-residential area of the Olympic Village Plaza and is open daily from 9:00 am to 9:00 pm.
Parenting and sports
“Many athletes are trying to balance their sports careers with their families. I know what it feels like because I competed in the 2014 Winter Olympics as a mother with a young child,” she said. Emma Terho, Chair of the IOC Athletes’ Commission.
“Pregnancy and motherhood,” she added, “do not have to mean the end of a career for athletes. I am very grateful for P&G’s strong support from day one when our Committee made the proposal. It is very helpful for both parents and newborns to be able to spend time together, especially at such an important time in an athlete’s sporting life. This nursery allows that to happen, while also giving athletes the opportunity to focus on the Games.”
Second Laura Kenny, five-time Olympic gold medalist in cyclingwhose son was just three when he competed at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, the Village’s daycare provides an invaluable resource for athlete parents during the Games: “It’s incredible to see P&G brands recognize what matters most to athletes and support them during the Olympic and Paralympic Games in meaningful ways,” she said. “For athletes who are also juggling parenting roles, connecting with their children in an accessible space like the Pampers-supported daycare will be an amazing resource, providing invaluable support to Olympic and Paralympic athletes during the Games,” she concluded.
The nursery is the latest step in a long and historic “battle” of new parent athletes and breastfeeding mothers and athletes during the Olympic Games.
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