Egyptian Fencer Nada Hafez Reveals Pregnancy During Paris 2024 Olympic Games
Sometimes a sport tells story of grit and determination, when challenges are not only accepted but embraced. The story of Egyptian fencer Nada Hafez is no different. Hafez stunned the sporting world by revealing she was seven months pregnant while competing at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
Hafez, 26, caused a major upset in the Women’s Individual Sabre round of 32, defeating USA’s Elizabeth Tartakovsky. The victory brought Hafez to tears as she advanced to the round of 16.
In a heartfelt Instagram post, Hafez shared the emotional and physical challenges she faced competing while heavily pregnant. “What appears to you as two players on the podium, there were actually three. It was me, my competitor, and my yet-to-come-to-our-world little baby,” Hafez wrote.
“The rollercoaster of pregnancy is tough on its own, but having to fight to keep the balance of life and sports was nothing short of strenuous, however worth it.”
Despite her remarkable performance, Hafez’s journey at the Olympics ended after she was defeated by South Korea’s 10th seed, Jeon Ha-young.
Hafez’s story adds to the legacy of “super mums” in sports, following in the footsteps of other athletes who have competed while pregnant. Serena Williams famously won the Australian Open in 2017 while expecting her first child. Similarly, marathon world record holder Paula Radcliffe continued her rigorous training regimen during her pregnancy.
This year, the Olympic Games also saw a significant initiative to support athlete parents. Former American sprinter Allyson Felix, a mother of two, established a unique nursery for athlete parents, enabling them to compete while having their children close by. Felix herself won a bronze medal at the Tokyo Games after the birth of her first child.
Hafez’s extraordinary achievement at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games highlights the incredible determination and resilience of female athletes, continuing to push the boundaries of what is possible in sports.
