Jessica Ennis-Hill: Mums returning to sport need more support
"We are so motivated after having our children to come back and be even better than we were before, so why not support these athletes as much as we can.”
By Ros Satar
Last Updated: 03/03/20 1:30pm
Dame Jessica Ennis-Hill has called for more support for returning mothers to the highest levels of sport.
Speaking ahead of International Women's Day on March 8, she spoke about the lack of a standard support process for returning athletes.
Ennis-Hill, who won Heptathlon gold at the London 2012 Olympics, returned from the birth of her son in 2014 to win a third straight world title in 2015 before winning the silver medal at the Rio Olympics in 2016.
She said: "I think it's something we still need to work on and support more women coming back into sport after having their children.
"It's a fantastic time and these women that do it, it's an incredible thing to do. It's a tough challenge but we are so motivated after having our children to come back and be even better than we were before, so why not support these athletes as much as we can."
Since making her senior debut in 2005, she believes there have been plenty of positive changes in women's sport.
"I think it's constantly changing and evolving and we're having more opportunities. That barrier and that mid-ground is coming closer to an equal. I've definitely seen it change and I hope to see it continue to change in future years," she said.
She is excited to have a different perspective ahead of this summer's Tokyo 2020 Olympics, compared to the pressures of competing in London and Rio, and backs Doha 2019 world champions Katarina Johnson-Thompson and Dina Asher-Smith to repeat that success on the Olympic stage.
Ennis-Hill said: "I'm very excited to see Katarina compete again, and hopefully off the back of last year back that amazing gold medal with another one.
"Dina as well, I'm very excited to see her compete, and see what she has to offer.
"I think every Olympics brings something different, and each country puts on a fantastic performance in their own way and adds their own individuality to it.
"I think Tokyo are going to do a fantastic job. I'm very excited to be part of an Olympics from a completely different perspective this time."
