Some of the sporting greats have continued to achieve after becoming mothers. As our series finishes, Kayla Hodge picks out five outstanding sporting mums.
Fanny Blankers-Koen
Imagine a 30-year-old mother of two being known as "The Flying Housewife" just because she competes in her sport. That was the reality for Dutch runner Fanny Blankers-Koen, who was a trailblazer after she won four medals at the 1948 London Olympics — the most successful athlete at the Games — as a mother. She also won countless European
and Dutch titles and set 12 world records as a sprinter. She was voted female athlete of the century in 1999, and the Fanny Blankers-Koen Games were introduced in 1981 and are now part of the world athletics circuit.
Serena Williams
One of the most recognisable names in the world, Serena Williams gave birth to daughter Alexis Olympia in 2017. Williams was about nine weeks pregnant when she won the Australian Open the same year. She returned to the court in the following years and reached four major finals before retiring in 2022. She won her first singles title as a mother on New Zealand soil at the ASB Classic. Williams had a second daughter after retiring in 2023.
Isabell Werth
Dressage
German equestrian Isabell Werth competed at seven Olympics, including three after the birth of her son in 2009. She won gold in the team event in all her Olympic appearances — including Paris last year — and won 14 medals overall, making her the most successful equestrian Olympian. The 56-year-old has also won 56 medals across world cups and world and European championships, making her one of the most successful dressage riders in history.
Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce
The Jamaican sprinter had her son, Zyon, in 2017. The former Olympic and world champion returned to the track nine months after giving birth and said motherhood gave her a new motivation. She won her fourth 100m world title in 2019 and her fifth in 2022, and won her fourth consecutive Olympic medal in Tokyo when she won silver in the 100m. She set the record for the most medals won in the event by any athlete. She won bronze at the 2023 world championships and bowed out of international competition with a silver in the 4x100m relay at the world championships this year.
Irene van Dyk
Netball
The South African-born shooter had her daughter, Bianca, in 1998 and captained the Proteas at the 1999 Netball World Cup. Van Dyk left her homeland in search of a better life and career in New Zealand in 2000 on her own, and her family later followed. The goal shoot went on to earn 145 caps for the Silver Ferns — previously playing 72 for South Africa — and won the 2003 Netball World Cup and 2006 and 2010 Commonwealth Games titles with the Silver Ferns. She was one of the inaugural members inducted into the Netball New Zealand Hall of Fame last year.
