‘Why not wait until you’re retired?’: Sportswomen still facing questions over motherhood
Chelsea player Melanie Leupolz is a one-off in her team and a rarity in women’s professional sport. She’s a mum.
A mum who came back to her sport at an elite level after giving birth.
But the 29-year-old German international and Olympic gold medallist had to answer plenty of questions about her decision to take time out and start a family.
“At the beginning, I got some comments like how can you start a family at your prime time of being a footballer, why did you not wait until you retired?
“I didn’t listen, I knew what I wanted – a child and playing football as well – and everything was possible.”
And it was possible because Chelsea has a progressive attitude towards women’s health, helped no doubt by having a female coach in Emma Hayes, herself a mother, who also worked in women’s football in the US, where maternity leave among players is much more common.
“I told Emma straightaway for my safety and for the baby’s safety. So I was training with the team for four months but without any contact.
“They were careful about my heart rate and that I didn’t get the ball into my bump, but I was happy I could come to the training ground and see my teammates and be involved, and they didn’t know at that point.”
Melanie Leupolz. Pic: AP
But she still had to take the best part of a year out from competitive football. Enough time to possibly lose your place, or to lose the focus you once had because of a change in priorities.
Leupolz says she doesn’t think it’s changed her hunger for the game but she admits she is different.
“You change a bit as a person because there’s a big other part of your life. Maybe you see football through different eyes and maybe that helps with the pressure and focus.
“But I still want to win everything! Two months after giving birth I was back with the team and travelling to winter camp. I was fully back in the squad and playing football, it’s amazing how quickly everything went.”
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She was lucky enough to be given a new contract before she left to have her son. So the financial worry was taken away.
Many women still putting off children until end of career
For many athletes in other sports, the financial burden of having a child, travelling the world for tournaments, and taking childcare with you is beyond the finances of all but the top female players.
It’s not surprising that many female athletes put off starting a family until after they’ve retired. Sport is an already short career, and so are the financial rewards.
The most decorated track athlete of all time with 10 Olympic medals, American sprinter Allyson Felix, famously found herself significantly financially worse off when she became pregnant in 2018.
Allyson Felix at the World Athletics Championships in July 2022. Pic: Reuters
Her sponsor Nike reduced her payments by 70%. She ended up dropping them.
She said: “Getting pregnant was known as the kiss of death for Olympic track and field athletes.”
The brand did not treat Serena Williams the same way when she announced her pregnancy after winning the Australian Open in 2017, but perhaps as (arguably) the greatest female player of all time, she had more marketing clout.
Williams also changed the Women’s Tour’s (WTA) maternity rules after speaking out about the lack of protection for female players and pregnancy.
Having been World Number One, Williams returned a year later with a daughter but ranked down at a lowly 451.
Serena Williams with her daughter Alexis in August 2022. Pic: AP
Women in tennis allowed to keep rank during maternity leave
Now players can protect their ranking for their first eight tournaments after having a baby, so they are not starting from scratch, drawing the new World Number One in the first round, with their previous good work still recognised.
But the main challenge for all but the top players in the world is the cost.
Players further down the rankings just don’t earn enough in winnings to support travelling week to week with a nanny.
That would mean paying for extra flights and an extra hotel room. The maths just doesn’t work.
British doubles player and Sky commentator Naomi Broady has struggled to go back to the sport she loves.
Naomi Broady at Wimbledon in July 2018. Pic: Reuters
“It’s pretty impossible, I’d be totally reliant on what I’m earning on court, and then if a parent or my partner can’t travel with me it’s the cost of a nanny as well, so unless you’re earning serious top dollar then it’s just not achievable.”
Certainly becoming a mother seems less of a challenge if you are part of a team and have the backing of your club.
Leupolz admits she has had to make sacrifices and has had to think and plan a few steps ahead to make it work, like any other working mother in any other walk of life.
Attitudes to athletes starting families while still playing their sport are slowly changing.
But even she won’t be adding to her family until after she hangs up her boots.
King Charles will return to official public duties later for the first time since being diagnosed with cancer.
The monarch, who is the patron of Macmillan Cancer Support, will visit a cancer treatment centre to meet medical specialists and other patients, along with the Queen.
He decided to announce he had cancer at the beginning of February.
Since then, cancer charities have praised his openness and the impact it’s had on raising public awareness, along with the Princess of Wales also talking about her diagnosis.
The aim of today’s visit, where he will meet larger numbers of people for the first time, is to draw attention to the importance of early diagnosis and highlight innovative research, supported by Cancer Research UK, taking place at the hospital.
Queen Camilla, pictured here on Monday, is also due to attend the event. Pic: PA
On Friday, the palace announced that the King was “greatly encouraged” to be given the green light by doctors to return to some public-facing duties.
Sources have stressed that despite the welcome news, the King still has cancer and will continue to be treated for the undisclosed form of the disease.
The Buckingham Palace spokesperson said: “His Majesty’s treatment programme will continue, but doctors are sufficiently pleased with the progress made so far that the King is now able to resume a number of public-facing duties.”
They added: “Forthcoming engagements will be adapted where necessary to minimise any risks to His Majesty’s continued recovery.”
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The King has continued to carry on with his constitutional work behind the scenes and held small meetings inside the palace, including with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.
At Easter, he made a point of greeting crowds who had turned out to see him attend the church service at St George’s Chapel, Windsor, which was seen as a hint that more public-facing engagements could soon follow.
Palace officials continue to plan for a busy summer and autumn of events but will work around the caveat that plans may need to change depending on the King’s health and doctors’ advice.
The King pictured during his first in-person audience with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak in February. Pic: PA
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The summer months are always a busy period for the Royal Family with events like Trooping the Colour, Garter Day, and Royal Ascot.
There is also the prospect of overseas travel towards the end of the year, as Samoa is hosting the biennial meeting of Commonwealth leaders.
The next leader of the SNP could be “crowned… with no contest”, the Scottish Conservatives have claimed, after Humza Yousaf stepped down from the role on Monday.
Mr Yousaf – who has been leader and first minister of Scotland for just over a year – announced his resignation after his decision last week to cut power-sharing ties with the Scottish Green Party saw his leadership collapse.
Now the focus is moving onto who will replace him with nominations now open until midday on Monday 6 June.
Former deputy of the party John Swinney appears to be leading the pack.
Politics live: Next Scottish FM tipped to be ‘crowned with no contest’
Mr Swinney – was was Nicola Sturgeon’s number two between 2014 and 2023 – has yet to confirm he is running for the leadership, telling Sky News he was “giving very careful consideration” to the decision.
But senior figures have already given him their backing, with the SNP’s Westminster leader Stephen Flynn telling Sky News: “Serious times demand serious politics and serious people, and the best person to take that forward now for the Scottish Nationalist Party is John Swinney.”
He may not have a straight path to victory, however, with sources close to Kate Forbes – who lost out to Mr Yousaf during last year’s leadership contest – saying the MSP was also “actively considering” another run for the top job.
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Swinney ‘considering’ SNP leadership bid
Speaking to the Politics Hub With Sophy Ridge, leader of the Scottish Conservatives Douglas Ross said he didn’t think there would be a contest though.
“My reading of the situation now is John Swinney will be crowned as SNP leader with no contest, and I think as soon as next week there will be a vote in the Scottish Parliament to elect him as the first minister,” he said.
“You’ve seen countless senior politicians both here at Westminster and in Edinburgh back John Swinney. Of course, it’s the same John Swinney that last year ruled himself out and said it’s time for fresh talent to come through.”
He added: “That’s not really going to be a change, it’ll be more of the same, that’s focusing on independence at the expense of the real priorities that people across Scotland have.”
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Meanwhile, former first minister and now leader of rival party Alba Alex Salmond has been expressing sympathy for Mr Yousaf, telling Sophy Ridge it was “a great wrench” to leave the role.
But he questioned whether those around the outgoing leader were “acting in his best interests”, hinting at a plot to oust him in favour of Mr Swinney.
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Yousaf: ‘I’m sad my time is ending’
Asked whether the contest would be a “stitch up” by “the boys club” at the top of the SNP – as party MP Joanna Cherry suggested earlier – the current deputy leader, Keith Brown, said no.
He told Sophy Ridge: “The majority of the cabinet are female and of course we had a very lengthy period with a female leader, so anybody can come forward for this contest.”
However, Mr Brown gave his support to Mr Swinney, saying he was “somebody who is experienced and somebody who will bring unity hopefully to the parliament but also to the party”.
UK
Duchess of Edinburgh: Sophie becomes first member of Royal Family to visit Ukraine since Russia’s invasion
The Duchess of Edinburgh has become the first member of the Royal Family to visit Ukraine since Russia’s full-scale invasion began in February 2022.
Sophie’s trip was to “demonstrate solidarity with the women, men and children impacted by the war”, said Buckingham Palace.
The palace also said it was a continuation of her work to champion survivors of conflict-related sexual violence.
The duchess, 59, met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and the first lady Olena Zelenska.
The Duchess of Edinburgh visited a memorial for victims of the Bucha massacre
The duchess met an Orthodox priest in Bucha
Sophie, who is a full-time working member of the Royal Family, also delivered a private message to them in a letter from the King.
The royal visited the site of a mass grave in Bucha where victims of the Russian occupation were buried.
The duchess laid flowers at a memorial that contains the names of the victims.
Early on in the war after Russian forces left the town, a number of dead bodies were found with their hands tied behind their backs – seemingly shot at close range. President Vladimir Putin’s troops are accused of war crimes there, including executions and rapes.
During her visit, the duchess also met survivors of conflict-related sexual violence and survivors of torture, said the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO).
Sophie met children of families affected by the war
And she met children who have now been safely returned to Ukraine, after being forcibly separated from their families and taken by Russia.
She also met female volunteers who have helped their communities cope with the aftermath of attacks with mental healthcare activities for children.
In a speech during her visit, Sophie said: “It’s true that women and girls pay the highest price in terms of human cost when it comes to the way that they are affected, the way that they can be used as weapons of war.
“Rape is used to demean, to degrade and to destroy, and we have to get better at trying to prevent that from happening.”
She added: “I’ve been meeting with survivors of sexual violence and the conflict. I thank them for that honesty in telling me what happened to them. Their stories are sad… but I appreciate their time and their openness.”
The royal visited the Romanivska Bridge in the town of Irpin. Pic: AP
As part of her trip, Sophie visited the “Road to Life” in Irpin, also known as the Romanivska Bridge, that was blown up to stop Mr Putin’s troops proceeding to Kyiv, and later became a key route for people fleeing to safety from the Russian occupation.
The royal also visited the Saint Sophia Cathedral with the first lady in the capital Kyiv.
The Duchess of Edinburgh with the First Lady of Ukraine Olena Zelenska at the Saint Sophia Cathedral in Kyiv. Pic: PA
The Ukraine trip was at the request of the FCDO.
In the two years since the war began on 24 February 2022, at least 10,582 civilians have been killed and 19,875 injured in conflict-related violence in the country, according to the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine (HRMMU).
Those killed include 5,017 men, 3,093 women, 311 boys and 248 girls.
Sophie signs the guest book at the cathedral. Pic: PA
Pic: PA
The King, when he was Prince of Wales, visited Ukraine in 1996. As monarch, he sent a message of support to the people of Ukraine on the second anniversary of the war.
He wrote: “Despite the tremendous hardship and pain inflicted upon them, Ukrainians continue to show the heroism with which the world associates them so closely. Theirs is true valour, in the face of indescribable aggression.”
In March 2023, Prince William visited Poland to thank British and Polish troops involved in providing support to Ukraine, before meeting refugees who have fled the conflict with Russia to hear of their experiences.
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Sophie announced her commitment to champion the UK’s Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict Initiative (PSVI) and the United Nations’ Women, Peace and Security Agenda (WPS) on International Women’s Day in 2019.
Over the years, the duchess has visited a number of countries to highlight the impact of historical and ongoing conflict.
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They include Kosovo, Sierra Leone, South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Colombia.
And she has heard first-hand testimonies from survivors of conflict-related sexual violence.
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