“I\u2019m so grateful to everyone who has supported me along the way,” she shared. “Thank you for every clap, cheer and message, and to those who picked me up again and again and told me it was possible.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Read on to find out more about Mathilda\u2019s journey to the Paris Games. Mathilda’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 \u2013 that of balancing motherhood with elite sport.\u00a0<\/p>\n Mathilda has been rowing since the age of 13, and when she embarked on her degree in chemistry<\/a> 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 \u2013 and benefits \u2013 to being an elite athlete.<\/p>\n When Mathilda fell pregnant with her son Freddie, now two, she didn\u2019t want this to spell the end of her rowing career.<\/p>\n She said: \u201cWhen 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\u2019t feel like I ever really stopped rowing during my pregnancy and postpartum journey.<\/p>\n \u201cI feel that elite sport is becoming more accepting of mothers and their careers. There\u2019s still a large disparity between different sports and coaches but it\u2019s moving in the right direction. The fact that I\u2019ve gone from giving birth in 2022, to preparing to compete in the Olympics in 2024 just shows how the sport is changing.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n 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 \u2013 with her son watching from the sidelines \u2013 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.<\/p>\n When asked how she felt about being selected for the Games a second time, Mathilda said: \u201cRelieved. So, so relieved. It\u2019s definitely starting to sink in but we\u2019re currently in the midst of a hard training block, so I\u2019m too tired to get too excited just yet.\u201d<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n \u201cOne 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\u2019s a real juggling act and it takes time to get used to a new normal. Every day is different depending on how Freddie is.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n \u201cIt can be pretty exhausting. I don\u2019t get much time to rest as I\u2019m looking after Freddie when I\u2019m not training or competing. He didn\u2019t sleep through the night until after he turned one, and now he\u2019s two he\u2019s started to wake up again and often ends up sleeping with me.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s pretty incredible to realise what you can achieve on practically no sleep!\u201d<\/p>\n The GBRT has supported Mathilda by loaning her equipment to train remotely at home and allowing her to bring Freddie on training camps.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen Freddie went down for a nap I\u2019d get on the rowing machine or bike, and then once he\u2019d woken up we\u2019d travel to the Upper Thames Rowing Club and do weights,\u201d she explained.<\/p>\n \u201cBeing able to train at home meant I was around to see him reach his key milestones \u2013 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.<\/p>\n \u201cHaving Freddie on training camps with me is brilliant \u2013 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\u2019s more to life than rowing.<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s definitely benefits to being both a mother and an athlete. Having Freddie has definitely improved my rowing, and I\u2019m a better mum because of my rowing.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n 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\u2019t mean the end of your career.<\/p>\n She said: \u201cI definitely feel it is possible. It\u2019s important to realise that everyone has their own pace and ways of making it work. I didn\u2019t ask for help or stand up for what I wanted at times, so I\u2019d recommend asking for support as early as you can \u2013 you can always say when you no longer need the help, but it\u2019s important to get it early on.<\/p>\n \u201cI hope that by talking about my own journey I can inspire others going through similar challenges. I know I\u2019m not the first to balance motherhood with sport, but I really hope I\u2019m not the last. And if my experience can help to keep a few more females in sport then that\u2019s worth it.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n But for now, at the top of Mathilda\u2019s agenda is competing at the Paris Games. She shares what she\u2019s most looking forward to and her thoughts on her future career.<\/p>\n She said: \u201cAlthough I\u2019ve been to an Olympic Games before I haven\u2019t experienced one without any restrictions. COVID-19 really changed the whole experience for me. This time, I\u2019m really looking forward to having my family and friends there to support me.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know what the future holds \u2013 I never thought I would be back here but here I am. I\u2019m just taking it week by week and trying to enjoy it as much as possible.\u201d<\/p>\n
<\/span><\/p>\nTurning the tide<\/strong><\/h4>\n
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A juggling act<\/strong><\/h4>\n
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Paris 2024<\/strong><\/h4>\n
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Join Mathilda at our annual Edith Morley Lecture titled ‘Strength, Equality, Empowerment: Mathilda Hodgkins-Byrnes’ Story’. In this lecture Mathilda will be sharing her story and exploring advancing rights, promoting equality, and fostering empowerment for women and girls anywhere.<\/p>\n