3 months ago
15
ACROSS A career spanning over a decade and a half, Jamaican sprint icon Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce has faced several challenges in life. The one she finds the most fulfilling however, is finding the right balance between being a mother and a world-class athlete.
Fraser-Pryce burst onto the global sprinting scene when she won her first Olympic gold medal in 2008. Known for her explosive start, Fraser-Pryce earned the nickname ‘Pocket Rocket’.
That nickname would eventually evolve to ‘Mommy Rocket’ in 2017 when Fraser-Pryce announced that her and her husband, Jason Pryce, would welcome their first child, Zyon Pryce.
Speaking about her pregnancy in 2017, Fraser-Pryce said being a mother was her life’s ‘biggest blessing’.
“Life is filled with many blessings with God, so here I am thinking about being the greatest mother I can be with my biggest blessing and the promise God made me.”
Standing as one of the world’s premier athletes eight years later, Fraser-Pryce said being able to share the joys of being a mother and a world-class sprinter is one of the most fulfilling feelings in the world.
She pointed to the 2019 Doha World Athletics Championships, upon making her return to track years post partum, she won her fourth 100 metres world title.
She celebrated the achievement with her son on the track.
“2019 was really special for me. I would like to think of Doha as a place of defining the odds,” Fraser-Pryce said.
“After turning 30, where a lot of persons think when women turn 30 – and then on top of that having a child – they kind of put you in a box,” she continued.
“Being able to have that moment in Doha, and not only that moment, but the moment of having my son on the track, was really special.”
Fraser-Pryce explained, as her son grows older, striking the right balance in being the best mother she can be and maintaining her demanding schedule as a world-class athlete is increasingly difficult.
“I must say it has been very difficult for the past year because he is much more aware, he is so involved in school and we have so much that’s going on. So splitting the time between those things can be very challenging,” she explained.
“He plays football. He’s seven now – he’s going to be turning eight. So, right now, my house is pretty hectic. My son plays football so I have to leave practice for football training or on the weekends, I have to go to tournaments straight from the track.”
She added, “He plays chess as well, so now I’m navigating where my son plays chess and he plays football. I go to these tournaments.
THE RIGHT SUPPORT
However, it is not a solo effort in her household, as Fraser-Pryce explained the unconditional support of her husband plays a major role in finding the balance.
She also explained that her team surrounding her ensures she is able to make the right decision to be a constant figure in her family’s house.
“I’m grateful for the support that I have in my husband and also my team, so I’m able to balance it,” she said. “Some days are good, some days are not so good. Some days, I missed practices and I missed Mother’s Day because I was running in China. So it’s one of those moments.”
For the second year in a row, videos of Fraser-Pryce competing at Zyon’s sports day have become increasingly popular.
The sprinter explained that there are just a few of the moments where she is able to create lasting memories with her son.
“I travelled on the day he won his tournament, so it’s such a struggle. But, at the same time, I am grateful for the moments that I have and being present in those moments with him,’ she said.
“It is important that I show up for my son and show up as I am. I think it is very important that he sees that I am very competitive, and he sees that.
“He has won two races at Sports Day and he easily excited and he was like ‘Mommy you have to run’.”
She added, “Just that pride and joy that I actually saw in his face as I crossed that line was truly special.”
English (US) ·