Claire Sharpe, Badminton Player, On

Combining Sport And Motherhood (1994)

From ACTION, the publication of Canadian Association for the Advancement of Women and Sport and Physical Activity Autumn 1994

"As the mother of three children, I have to consider things other than how I actually do on the court, like making sure my family is cared for. That's a consideration for me every day, every time I train, or compete. It's the same for every parent. My challenge is to keep everybody happy so that I can compete. I love competing. The better the opposition, the more fun it is. In order to get to that point, I first have to look after my family's needs. That's the challenge.

There were women ahead of me who competed after they had children, women who helped me as a junior. Jane Youngberg, my first partner, was one. We won a silver medal together at the Edmonton Games, and she competed long after she had children. The expectation had been, you have children, you quit.

It is important to fight off the stereotypes that say sport's for boys and not for girls. Sport is such an easy way to have fun and get exercise. It's so sad to see the girls drop off. I would really like to see them keep going. It's a matter of health. Girls seem to stop when they hit their teens and then they wonder, 10, 20 years down the road, why they can't keep the weight off, why they don't feel good about themselves, why they have niggling health problems. Sport keeps you fit and healthy; it's a good lifestyle habit."