Pregnancy discrimination, body shaming, and periods are just some of the barriers that women in elite sports still face.
Abigail Irotsuru, 34, an Olympian and professional track and field athlete, knows this well from her own experiences and those around her.
She is not asking for donations or sympathy, saying, “No matter the challenges, it's important to improve our mindset and game in order to stand out from other athletes.'' is passionate about more discussion, research and advocacy to improve equality. Women who engage in high performance sports.
Here, Tokyo 2020 Olympic finalist and respected long jumper Irotsuru talks about the institutional and social barriers that still exist, the difficult decisions women face, and the improvements she would like to see. I'll tell you.
We talk about pregnancy, motherhood, and elite sports
The question of whether women really can have it all comes up in every industry, but there are also more extreme questions. Variables in sports.
“I think the biggest challenge, as another athlete told me, is that our bodies are 'tools for work,' so our physical ability is really important.” ” says Irotsuru.
“For me, it wasn't necessarily an issue because I'm not in a relationship, but if I was, I probably would have been a mother by now because I love children.”
In any case, this conversation is one she regularly has with fellow athletes, including the aforementioned athlete who has been thinking about having children for some time. “But she said there were so many unknown variables revolving around her pregnancy and birth that it was difficult (including financially) to plan for her future career in sports after giving birth. ''Irotsuru said.
“She wants to have children, but there are so many inconsistent policies, childcare (athletes can fly from one country to another), and she's unsure if she'll be able to get back together.'' I can’t have it.”
Of course, there are probably many women who don't play sports. want Some children feel they have to put motherhood on hold.
“We know that motherhood and next steps can be put on hold until you step away from sports,” Irotsuru says. Thanks to advanced technology and recovery tools, they often go from 27-29 years old to their early 30s.
For those who want to continue, but don't want to sacrifice their body clock timeline, Irotsuru says women are trying to time their pregnancy around the Olympic cycle. But, of course, you can't always plan for these things or prevent the physical and mental strain of miscarriage.
We know that motherhood and next steps can be put on hold until you step away from sports.
institutional barriers
“There have long been institutional barriers to commercial contracts that provide funding to national governing bodies and athletes, and they still remain to some extent,” Irotsuru said.
For example, Allyson Felix was reportedly offered a 70% pay cut in her new contract with Nike after her pregnancy, despite her efforts to get back in shape as soon as possible after giving birth.
After sharing her experience in the New York Times in 2019, Nike announced a new maternity policy for all sponsored athletes that guarantees pay and bonuses for 18 months before and after pregnancy, and others. Apparel companies have added similar protections.
While acknowledging that other players would have benefited from this, Irotsuru added: A voice or a standing foot.
“In the sports world, uniform practice of maternity support for mothers has not yet been established.
“The fact that women may feel like they have to hide their pregnancy from their contracts and partner brands is a really difficult position to be in because they're celebrating an incredible experience. Because you should feel that way.
“If you are safe in the UK, [standard] Yes, you may take a small pay cut, but at least you're safe.There are also many athletes married For athletes, not being able to compete when the baby is born and their partner being sleep-deprived can also affect their performance. ”
The fact that women feel the need to hide their pregnancy from their contracts and the brands they work for puts them in a really difficult position.
Addressing those who are struggling to raise children, Irotsuru said, “Some athletes breastfeed their babies on their hips between practices and games.
“People might say, 'It's your choice,' and I get that, but we admire people who do everything, but we don't want to do anything to enable them to do everything.” We also need to push back against that narrative because we are not building infrastructure.” and Thrive. “
For some, like Shelley-Ann Fraser-Pryce, who made a comeback and set a personal best, becoming a mother makes you stronger, but for others, like Scottish track and field athlete Lindsey Sharpe, it's hard not to get support. Despite having received such treatment, some women announced their retirement in December due to the impact of childbirth. .
“It's good to look at it from both sides. Sport involves sacrifice, so some people can't make the same return or sacrifice.”
We celebrate people who have done it all, but we are not building the infrastructure for them to do it all and be successful.
Periods affecting match days
Irotsuru and her fellow athletes use menstrual cycle trackers (she often gets injured before she does, which she tries to monitor) and communicate with coaches and teams about their cycles. Masu. But for those who have had a bad camp (Irotsuru athletes know how to vomit for days on end) or have conditions like polycystic ovary syndrome, it can be even more difficult to manage. There is a possibility that
“It’s a tough one, because we’re still in a high-performance sport, so you have to be able to go into the game with a heightened mindset no matter what the challenges are. It helps differentiate me from other athletes,” says the Olympian.
“But I think this is an issue that needs to be addressed to ensure that young athletes and developing athletes are not turned away from sport because of the effects of menstruation.”
Irotsuru tried the pill twice to alleviate the effects, but was forced to stop taking it due to the effects on her mental health. She also reminds us that during her period, her body literally changes, so even if you work twice as hard, sometimes biology wins out.
“I once had a conversation with a coach at the Olympics, and he literally said, 'Yeah, that cost me the gold medal,'” Irotsuru says.
I feel like I have too much muscle
Irotsuru has spent the last few years trying to resolve his deep-seated insecurities, but he still has his ups and downs.
“I've been doing sit-ups since I was 8 years old and my arms were really muscular. When I wear certain clothes, people comment on it negatively. It's not the most comfortable state. ” she explains. .
“That's why I didn't do push-ups or bench presses for a long time when I was younger, which could have contributed to higher levels of success.
“Sometimes I still look in the mirror and wonder if I'm not wearing this because I have too much muscle. I know other women admire it, but it's just me. It's difficult right now because it's the default.
“If I have a daughter or children, I hope that my anxiety doesn’t come across to them.”
proudest moment in career
Irotsuru, who is grateful to his mother for challenging him with driving and new activities (she also did gymnastics, dancing and soccer as a child), has several standout moments on and off the track. There is.
This includes 2016, when she ruptured her Achilles tendon, underwent her third surgery and essentially retired from the sport, and went on to build a successful business called Manchester Tutors from scratch, and become a major figure in the sporting world. He also made great progress.
“Like in 2007 when I jumped over 6 meters for the first time to qualify for the World Youth Championships with my then coach John Crotty,” she recalls. “I came back to the sport after retiring and despite being disappointed with the result I managed to reach the Olympic final. “Then I made it to the Commonwealth Games final at the age of 32 after a really tough season and I finished in the third round. Because I was able to jump the distance.”
Once her career in elite sport is over, she hopes to find something that fills her with just as much passion, involvement, commitment, drive and focus. You can probably say that she got her good start as a podcast host, speaker, and NLP resilience coach.
Expectations for the future of women in the sports world
Irotsuru recognizes that some adjustments will require careful consideration, but here's what she wants:
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Brand and governing body consistency in the support we provide during pregnancy and childbirth
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Funding and research specific to women's bodies, and other options that don't disrupt your emotions (or cause negative physical effects)
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Conversation and education for young people, especially young girls, about their bodies, how to manage their periods, and the appropriate bras to wear so they don't fear sports.
“Little things can add up over time and make a big difference,” she says.
Even small things can add up over time to make a big difference.
Irotsuru has said that he will participate in the 2024 Paris Olympics, but whether he will participate as a professional athlete depends on his training and cannot be confirmed yet. She recently contributed a chapter on feminism and sports to the new book Notes on Feminism by Lauren Windle.
A Nike spokesperson told Yahoo UK: “Our mission is to always support athletes who strive to be their best, and that includes helping women decide how to be both great mothers and great athletes. “In 2018, we standardized our policies for elites.” “We are asking athletes across all sports to work with us to ensure that female athletes are not financially impacted by pregnancy. In 2019, this policy was expanded to 18 months. We continue to support, celebrate and evolve our female athletes.”
