This story is part of the June 23 edition of Sunday Life. See all 12 stories . Motherhood is a juggle at the best of times.
But how do you represent your country in a quest for Olympics glory with a baby in tow? It’s not easy, but for the first time in Olympic and Paralympic history, athletes will be able to access a nursery dedicated to family time at the Olympic Village during Paris 2024. Sunday Life speaks to four athletes who will be travelling to France with their young children as they pursue their gold-medal dreams. Keesja Gofers, 34, water poloist Keesja Gofers and her daughter, Teleri.
Credit: Gregg Porteous I have a big support network coming with me to Paris, but knowing that my 16-month-old daughter Teleri is coming is a big comfort. She’s my engine and my everything. My mum and four sisters are all travelling to Paris to support me as well.
It’s my third time competing at the Olympics [after Rio de Janeiro in 2016 and Tokyo in 2021), but my first time as a mother. Water polo is a team sport, which means the added challenge is that you have to do what is best for the team. In terms of how much I can interact with my daughter, that remains to be seen – we might only get a few minutes together every few days for two weeks, but that’s better than nothing, to be honest.
I know our time could be limited, but the nursery and village for families and babies is welcome. It’s great to see they’re factoring in the importance of family time. Knowing we can have.