What do
Dara Torres, Lisa Leslie, Maria Valentina Vezzali, Xian Dongmei, and Lindsay Davenport have in common?
They are all mothers who happen to be Olympians - or is it Olympians who happen to be mothers? All of them were successful athletes prior to having a child and all of them talk about how being a mother is always in the back of their minds.
This ability to train hard with discipline, commitment, and focus as they continue to excel in their thirties and forties provides for a unique view of life. All of these women can concentrate on their sport and yet, the priority of their responsibility as a mother may come to mind in a split second. While some left their little ones back home while they compete in Beijing, others brought them with them as they juggled their competitions - often times against women half their age and single - with some mom and child quality time.
Many of these women have beaten their own record, aside from having participated in a span of five Olympics. Some of them had left their game and skipped some Olympics while under the impression they were too old to compete. Beating their own record from two decades earlier left many of us with a dropped jaw. All of these Olympians, though, knew they could continue to compete at the highest level and had the internal determination to do so.
Just like Leslie said after the US team won the gold in basketball, training at the professional level while raising a child is hard, and creating a plan to achieve your goals is essential. You may be able to achieve anything you want if you have the determination, discipline, and a great plan.
Do you believe it is possible to be both a great mother and spouse and have an outstanding career? Do you think cultural stereotypes prevent many women from integrating both family and career? Do you believe you may achieve anything you want if you are determined to do so?
