Breaking barriers: The breastfeeding athletes championing change at the Paris 2024 Olympics

When a mother competes at an Olympic Games, she doesn’t suddenly stop being a mother.

That's the message that athletes are eager to get across at Paris 2024.

Those female athletes with children are all too used to having to choose between their career or their children - with many previously struggling to care for their children during an Olympic Games.

Now, for the first time in history, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and Paris 2024 have created a dedicated space for families, mothers, and children.

It’s a welcomed addition to the Olympic Village, which has been celebrated by the trailblazing athletes who choose to breastfeed whilst competing.

One of the athletes welcoming change is Team USA marathon runner Aliphine Tuliamuk.

Tuliamuk’s Tokyo 2020 experience was one of distraught when she had to spend the night in the athlete’s village without her six-month-old daughter Zoe.

It was the first time that the athlete had ever spent the night away from Zoe.

"I was so engorged,” she told the BBC. “I was pumping and thinking 'My baby is not even here with me' - then I called them and she was crying, losing her mind because she didn't understand why her mum is not there."

The introduction of the Olympic Village nursery means that athletes like Tuliamuk can spend quality time with their young children. They will also be offered safe, welcoming hotel rooms close to the village to breastfeed in.

"I am just so happy that in only four years from when I couldn't be with my baby, it's now changed to where they have facilities for them. That is pretty incredible."

Judoka, Clarisse Agbégnénou, is another athlete that has advocated for the introduction of specific breastfeeding points.

Since she took gold at Tokyo 2020, the Frenchwoman has proved that it is possible to breastfeed and remain competitive, and in the lead up to Paris 2024 qualifiers, she often stopped for quick feeds with her daughter in the judo hall.

Talking to Olympics.com in 2023, the Olympian reiterated her desire to change the perception of breastfeeding athletes.

"It hurts me to hear people saying 'We can do only one thing at a time', 'You can’t evolve in your job' or 'You can’t be a high-level athlete' while being a mum.”

And speaking ahead of Paris 2024, Agbégnénou had already decided that she wouldn’t be split from her daughter.

"This will be my third Olympics and I know what it's like,” she said.

“We are really all girls together, so I didn't want to disturb the girls, but I couldn't imagine doing these Games without my daughter knowing that I was still breastfeeding her".

And it’s not just current athletes who are championing change.

Former Team USA sprinter Allyson Felix “wanted to advocate for moms and families" following her track career, and at Paris 2024 she has done just that.

The seven-time gold medallist was appointed to the IOC Athletes Commission upon her retirement and has introduced a number of initiatives that are helping athletes balance their careers and motherhood.

Felix partnered with a nappy/diaper brand to create the first-of-its-kind family space within the Olympic Village for the benefit of athletes at this year’s Games.

"It's really meant to feel like a space in your home," said Felix.

"There are soft spaces for the baby to play. There's toys, there's books, there's a dedicated breastfeeding space. It's just a place that feels very comfortable to lounge and to be with your family."

Olympians from across the world have been making use of Felix’s space, with many expressing their gratitude for a safe space within the Village.

“People in general are really grateful,” said the most decorated female track and field athlete of all time.

"I would love to keep growing it. But now, it feels like a home . . . and that's what it's meant to be."