Equity-seeking Olympians team up to create better support for competing moms

When two-time Olympic hurdler and mother Nikkita Holder heard that there would be a private children's nursery in the Paris 2024 Olympic village, her eyes welled up.

"Honestly, I'm not even going to lie, it makes me a little emotional," Holder, whose final race was in 2018, told CBC Sports. "To have that would have been tremendously amazing and it's exciting to know that women can now have a dream and still be a mom at the same time." 

Holder gave birth to her son in 2013 and went on to win a bronze medal at the 2015 Pan American Games, and later advance to the semifinals of the 100-metre hurdles at Rio 2016. She is quick to note her incredible family support during her athletic career, but she certainly would have benefited from resources within the system as well.

"As a track athlete you have to budget for so much. You have to budget for your living expenses, you've got to budget for your nutrition, for your supplements, for your shoes, all your gear," Holder said. "If we got help with childcare as well, then I think that would alleviate so much stress." 

Holder's experience is not unique. While the opportunity for Olympian parents to access a nursery may indicate progress at the Games, many women athletes continue to feel under supported, under-resourced, and underfunded during their family planning and motherhood years.

Which is why, amidst the countdown to Paris 2024, a group of equity-seeking Olympians are teaming up to create a better Olympic experience for women as they navigate pregnancy, motherhood and women's health.

With the help of the OLY Canada Legacy Grant, Canadian lightweight double sculls rower Jill Moffatt, along with a roster of fellow athletes, has founded MOMentum, an online platform which will house resources regarding pregnancy, postpartum, egg freezing, IVF, carding policy updates, and legal support.

"When it comes to every National Sport Organization, I kind of realized it's very wild west," Moffatt told CBC Sports. "A big thing that we see in the research and experiences is there is not a lot of information on what the best practices are. So a lot of women lean on other women, which is really great, but ideally we can provide these resources in one place."

The Canadian Olympic Committee (COC) says that although there are some consistent rules that apply to all federally funded national team athletes, each sport defines its own funding and selection criteria. 

"For each Games we are ready to work with a national sport organization to support an athlete's ability to compete and care for their infant child," a representative from the COC said. "Over the past several Games the Canadian Olympic Team has been majority female, and although we have had very few requests for support with childcare, pregnancy, and family planning during the Games, we have been proud to support and advocate for those who have asked."

WATCH | Moffatt started MOMentum to help support athletes with family planning:

The COC is handing out a total of $100,000 in funds across the 15 recipients of the OLY legacy grant this year and says it's proud to support MOMentum in its mission to demystify family planning for athletes.

The organization adds that it also supports the development of a national female athlete health strategy through the work of the Chief Medical Officer of Health and Wellness and the Sport Medicine and Advisory Council. 

In addition, MOMentum's goal is that by Milan 2026 it will have raised enough funds to provide Olympians with grants to cover off related costs.