Does top-level sport require us to forget the individual, man or woman, in order to focus only on the athlete, asks CAMILLE SERME

As far back as I can remember, Ive always wanted to become a mother: to feel a little being inside me, to see my belly grow, to experience parenthood as a couple, to discover a new facet of yourself and your partner, and then one day to hear the word mum.

My job, and my passion for many years, was as a top-level squash player.

My whole life was focused towards performance: training, sleep, diet, medical care. All with the help of an entire team to support me in this project and push me to be the best I could be, right up to world number 2.

But what about being a woman? Has anyone ever asked me the question: Would you like to be a mother? And if so, how would you organize yourself? Are you planning your pregnancy?

Today, seven months pregnant, Im wondering about this: why no institution, no member of my technical or medical team, no sponsor, has ever asked me this question?

Did no one have this in mind? Is there a fear of the answer?

If a desire for parenthood came up, would it mean the loss of our athlete, the fruit of our collective labor and a product of image and finance? Maybe I was, and we were, too focused on performance, and it was taking over. Does the professional space inhibit this central theme of life?

If we dont ask her, maybe it wont happen But nobody has ever considered that I could want to be a woman and not just a top-level athlete. Were human beings first and I realize that theres a real lack of information in French sport on this subject.

I find that surprising.

In my sport, Im thinking of Natalie Grinham and Nour El Tayeb, in judo of Clarisse Agbegnenou, in basketball of Valériane Ayayi-Vukosavljevic.

World champion Ali Farag and his wife Nour El Tayeb are looking forward to a new season of success

These are examples, among many others, of inspiring, strong women who manage to concile parenthood with their passion. In my opinion, all this is possible thanks to the help of a highly available entourage, who support them from A to Z in this project, and on whom they can count whatever happens.

Its a team effort, just like sport.

But I dont think its right that in France today, federations, clubs and staff dont provide better support for women who want to become mothers.

I think it would be good to be prepared for this. To discuss it, to provide information and to support women with professionals such as midwives, gynecologists and therapists, who are as familiar with motherhood as they are with top-level sport.

I would have liked to have had access to this right from puberty, a complicated period when youre already asking yourself a lot of questions in general: Whats going on with this body that Im rediscovering as I train it every day? What am I going to do later?

Am I totally committed to my sporting project? Am I ready to make the necessary concessions?

So imagine a woman who has to manage her menstrual period both in training and in competition, while still performing well.

On top of that, she has to deal with the question of whether one day shed like to become a mother, whether that would be possible while continuing to play top-level sport, how she could be supported, how she could integrate this part of her life and with all that, carry on!

I think there are still too many taboo subjects in our sporting society. We shouldnt have to choose between top-level sport and motherhood.

I hope that behaviours will change and evolve, so that top-level sportswomen are listened to and understood as women.