View this post on Instagram
When three-time Olympian Nada Hafez won in a fencing match against American Elizabeth Tartakovsky at the Paris 2024 Olympics, she was joined by an unlikely co-competitor. As the public later found out through an Instagram post, Hafez was actually seven months pregnant while she was competing.
In the post, Hafez wrote, “What appears to you as two players on the podium, they were actually three! It was me, my competitor, & my yet-to-come to our world, little baby! My baby & I had our fair share of challenges, be it both physical & emotional. The rollercoaster of pregnancy is tough on its own, but having to fight to keep the balance of life & sports was nothing short of strenuous, however worth it.”
The Egyptian fencer won her first match in women’s individual sabre but lost her match in the last 16 against South Korean Jeon Hayoung. She joins the small but nevertheless impressive list of female athletes who have competed in the Olympic Games while pregnant, and is one of only two athletes who has competed while at least seven months pregnant. In addition to this, Hafez is also a doctor when she isn’t on the fencing piste, making her athletic achievements just the tip of the iceberg.
You can watch the video of her historic match on YouTube.
Nada Hafez: Instagram | Facebook
h/t: [BuzzFeed]
Related Articles:
Notre Dame Will Reopen in 2024 Before the Summer Olympics in Paris
Taylor Swift Calls Simone Biles a “Hero” in Tokyo Olympics Tribute Video