Competing and Parenting: Some Athletes Will Be Doing Double Duty at the Olympics

Brooke Francis (L) and Lucy Spoors of New Zealand compete in the women's double sculls semifinal at the World Rowing Cup in Lucerne, Switzerland, on May 25, 2024. Philipp Schmidli/Keystone via AP

From training and competing to preparing bottles for feedings and changing diapers, some of the Olympians at the upcoming Paris Games will be balancing their roles of athletes and parents.

There is the British rower who raised more than $4,000 through GoFundMe to go to Paris “as a full-time mom.” The American marathon runner who trained with his daughters’ support by the track. The New Zealand rowers who sang children’s songs to motivate each other after rough nights waking up to take care of their babies.