Mathilda Hodgkins-Byrne’s rowing career has seen her compete at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games, and she is now heading to the Paris Games later this month. But this time Mathilda has a different perspective to share with CONNECTED – that of balancing motherhood with elite sport.
Mathilda has been rowing since the age of 13, and when she embarked on her degree in chemistry at the University of Reading in 2014, rowing remained central to her life. With one Olympics already under her belt, Mathilda has since embarked on a new journey into motherhood which threw up a new set of challenges – and benefits – to being an elite athlete.
Turning the tide
When Mathilda fell pregnant with her son Freddie, now two, she didn’t want this to spell the end of her rowing career.
She said: “When I fell pregnant I wanted to keep exercising for as long as I was able to. I ended up training, doing low-level cardio every day, until around forty weeks pregnant. In July 2022, eight weeks after giving birth to Freddie, I was able to start building my fitness back up again. So it didn’t feel like I ever really stopped rowing during my pregnancy and postpartum journey.
“I feel that elite sport is becoming more accepting of mothers and their careers. There’s still a large disparity between different sports and coaches but it’s moving in the right direction. The fact that I’ve gone from giving birth in 2022, to preparing to compete in the Olympics in 2024 just shows how the sport is changing.”
By September 2023, Mathilda had regained her fitness and returned to her pre-birth training schedule with the Great British Rowing Team (GBRT). Earlier this year – with her son watching from the sidelines – Mathilda finished second at the Last Chance Regatta in Lucerne, Switzerland, and together with her partner, Rebecca Wilde, secured her place at the Paris Olympics.
When asked how she felt about being selected for the Games a second time, Mathilda said: “Relieved. So, so relieved. It’s definitely starting to sink in but we’re currently in the midst of a hard training block, so I’m too tired to get too excited just yet.”
A juggling act
Starting a family is life-changing and presents lots of new challenges for parents to overcome. Mathilda shares how she balances the demands of motherhood with her rowing career.
“One of the main reasons I decided to return to rowing was because I wanted to see if it was possible to be both a mum and an elite athlete. It’s a real juggling act and it takes time to get used to a new normal. Every day is different depending on how Freddie is.
“It can be pretty exhausting. I don’t get much time to rest as I’m looking after Freddie when I’m not training or competing. He didn’t sleep through the night until after he turned one, and now he’s two he’s started to wake up again and often ends up sleeping with me.
“It’s pretty incredible to realise what you can achieve on practically no sleep!”
The GBRT has supported Mathilda by loaning her equipment to train remotely at home and allowing her to bring Freddie on training camps.
“When Freddie went down for a nap I’d get on the rowing machine or bike, and then once he’d woken up we’d travel to the Upper Thames Rowing Club and do weights,” she explained.
“Being able to train at home meant I was around to see him reach his key milestones – from rolling and crawling to taking his first steps. These are all things which I might have missed had Freddie been in childcare. I feel so grateful that I was able to spend that extra time with him.
“Having Freddie on training camps with me is brilliant – I love being able to share my journey with him. He also helps me to switch off from training by going for a walk together or having a meal together. He constantly reminds me that there’s more to life than rowing.
“There’s definitely benefits to being both a mother and an athlete. Having Freddie has definitely improved my rowing, and I’m a better mum because of my rowing.”
Paris 2024
Mathilda hopes that her journey will inspire others to have the confidence to try and balance motherhood with elite sport, and that in doing so it doesn’t mean the end of your career.
She said: “I definitely feel it is possible. It’s important to realise that everyone has their own pace and ways of making it work. I didn’t ask for help or stand up for what I wanted at times, so I’d recommend asking for support as early as you can – you can always say when you no longer need the help, but it’s important to get it early on.
“I hope that by talking about my own journey I can inspire others going through similar challenges. I know I’m not the first to balance motherhood with sport, but I really hope I’m not the last. And if my experience can help to keep a few more females in sport then that’s worth it.”
But for now, at the top of Mathilda’s agenda is competing at the Paris Games. She shares what she’s most looking forward to and her thoughts on her future career.
She said: “Although I’ve been to an Olympic Games before I haven’t experienced one without any restrictions. COVID-19 really changed the whole experience for me. This time, I’m really looking forward to having my family and friends there to support me.
“I don’t know what the future holds – I never thought I would be back here but here I am. I’m just taking it week by week and trying to enjoy it as much as possible.”
Discover Mathilda’s experience of the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games.
