22 August 2023 , 22:48
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On her flight into Budapest Jess Ennis-Hill saw a face she knew well and did a double take. In the arms of Shaunae Miller-Uibo, 400 metres champion of the world, was a baby boy.
The Bahamian, winner of the last two Olympics, gave birth to Maicel in April. Four months later, 122 days to be exact, she was in Hungary to defend her title.
“Another female athlete pushing the boundaries,” Ennis-Hill thought. "Great to see."
Her mind went back to 2014 and that winter morning on which news of her first pregnancy was met with doubt that she would return to top-level competition.
“There weren’t many athletes out there who had done it,” the heptathlon legend conceded. “There was no-one I could really speak to. It was the biggest challenge I ever faced.”
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Nine years on it seems almost commonplace. Out here Faith Kipyegon, Shelly-Ann Fraser Pryce and Nia Ali are headlining. All three are mothers. Caroline Wozniacki’s return from having two children is the talk of tennis.
Ennis-Hill with baby son Reggie in 2015 (Manchester Evening News)They all knew it was possible because Jess proved it. They saw that giving birth did not mean the end because 10 months after doing so, the Face of London 2012 reclaimed her world title.
“I am very proud I was able to do it and to share my experiences,” said Ennis-Hill. “For female athletes now to know it is possible to have a baby and return to sport; to see it is a realistic option and feel empowered to have children as part of their career, I think is amazing.”
She says THAT part of her legacy gives her as much pride as the track and field achievements which so many of this current generation cite as the reason they came into sport.
Ennis-Hill regularly tops lists of the most inspirational British sportswomen (SWNS)“It is hard to separate my proudest moment between London 2012 and the world title after having my son,” she added. “2015 was incredibly special as I felt I was an almost completely different athlete.
“There are changes, mentally and physically, you go through when you become a mother for the first time. You have to piece yourself back together not just to get back to your sport but be competitive and get back to the very top.”
She retired a year later, having won silver in Rio at her final Olympics, and remains a firm advocate for women's sport, seeking to further the understanding and appreciation of the challenges today's women face.
The Lionesses became the first England football team to reach a World Cup final since the Boys of '66 (Getty Images)On the face of it things are just fine. England have reached World Cup finals in football, rugby union and netball and this week Katarina Johnson-Thompson did a passable impersonation of superwoman.
But Ennis-Hill is pushing for more for her daughter’s generation. She wants them to grow up feeling they can speak about taboo topics, like their hormones and menstrual cycle, and for that to be the norm.
“We rightly place much emphasis on psychology, nutrition and biomechanics,” she said.
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Ennis in Budapest watching Katarina Johnson-Thompson become world heptathlon champion (Ian Stephen/ProSports/REX/Shutterstock)“But there seems a disproportionate amount of time and energy put on these other areas because it’s either uncomfortable to talk about or there’s not enough research out there.
"We should change that.”
Jennis is a women’s hormonal health platform founded by Olympic gold medallist Jess Ennis-Hill. For details visit jennis.com