Olympic rower Helen Glover has stated that fathers on Team GB face less scrutiny regarding their parenting compared to their female counterparts and are assumed to have longer careers in sport.
As the world’s top female rower and a two-time Olympic champion, Glover, a mother of three, has been a longtime advocate for working mothers. Since her comeback from retirement last year to compete in Paris, she has vocally addressed the challenges of balancing motherhood with being an elite athlete.
“Many men in Team GB have children, yet it’s not a topic of discussion because it doesn’t affect their performance. There’s an expectation that their careers will extend longer than those of women,” Glover shared in an interview with the Radio Times.
“However, I hope one of the most significant aspects of these Games is the number of female competitors returning after having children.”
During the Tokyo 2021 Games, Glover became the first mother to join the Great Britain rowing team, qualifying for the Olympic final just 18 months after giving birth to twins. This year, an unprecedented number of mothers are participating in both the Olympics and Paralympics, with the Olympic village introducing a nursery for the first time.
On Sunday, Glover, along with teammates Esme Booth, Sam Redgrave, and Rebecca Shorten, advanced to the women’s four final, inching closer to a third gold medal at 38 years of age. She previously secured gold in the women’s pair events in 2012 and 2016, also leading Team GB as flagbearer at the opening ceremony this year.
“Having children is definitely more challenging than training,” Glover explained to the Guardian prior to the Olympics. “Childbirth is inevitable, and you can’t control it, whereas in rowing, you can pause at any time. However, the worry and constant checking in on my family never really ends,” she added.
“This adds complexity to my days because I’m putting in the same amount of training as everyone else, but with three hours less time,” she remarked to the Radio Times.
“Yet, being the best mother I can be means being present. Even when I’m stressed or fatigued, seeing my children’s faces light up at the school gate reassures me that I’m achieving the right balance.”
She previously shared with the Guardian: “A major part of my decision to return was considering what I could actively do to improve the future for my daughter and other young girls and also for women who have young families and want to feel empowered.”
