Egyptian fencer Nada Hafez made headlines at the Paris 2024 Olympics with a remarkable personal achievement: competing in the women’s individual sabre competition while seven months pregnant. Hafez triumphed over the USA’s Elizabeth Tartakovsky in the first round before being eliminated by Jeon Hayoung of South Korea.
In a touching Instagram post, the 26-year-old athlete revealed her pregnancy, declaring: “7 MONTHS PREGNANT OLYMPIAN!” She shared that the experience of competing while pregnant presented both physical and emotional challenges. Despite the difficulties, Hafez expressed immense pride in reaching the round of 16.
She reflected on the unique experience, saying, “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!”
In her Instagram post she said”
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.
I’m writing this post to say that pride fills my being for securing my place in the round of 16!
I’m lucky to have shared the trust of my husband @ibrahimihab11 and that of my family to be able to come this far.
This specific Olympics was different; Three times Olympian but this time carrying a little Olympian one! ❤️”
Hafez highlighted the strenuous balance of managing both pregnancy and sports but celebrated the accomplishment with joy and pride.
