Nekoda Smythe-Davis is a Commonwealth gold medal-winning judoka (judo expert) who has won silver and bronze at the World Championships and represented Great Britain at the 2016 Olympics . Being an athlete mum feels like the hardest job in the world. It is such a juggle; a balancing act.
You feel like you’re burning the candle at both ends and you are trying to give 100% to two different areas – in some ways you are splitting yourself in two – but it is rewarding when you get it right. And all the sacrifices that I make will set us up for life if things pan out the way I want them to. I’ve always had a nurturing side.
When you speak to any of my teammates, I was the mother of the group, even before I had Ryia. Being around very strong, independent women – my mum and my judo coach, Jo Crowley, who has four kids – has definitely driven that. I always knew that after Rio I would work towards Tokyo, then probably retire and have kids.
But things didn’t go to plan. The Olympics didn’t happen in 2020; the pandemic happened. Alongside that, I was nursing a concussion injury.
When the Games were rescheduled for 2021, I made the decision that I was going to stop pushing towards them. I decided to focus on my health and had a conversation with my partner about wanting to start a family. I got pregnant straight away.
I knew that birth can be tough on the body, and wanted to make sure I had the stamina for it. Training while pregnant kept me grounded and gave me a goal. I .
