Nada Hafez is no stranger to the Olympics.
At 26 years old, the Egyptian saber fencer has competed in the 2016 Rio Olympics, the 2021 Tokyo Olympics and now the 2024 Paris Olympics.
After being eliminated in the round of 16, falling to South Korea’s Jeon Hayoung, Hafez made a surprise announcement: It wasn’t just her competing in the Olympics.
In a post shared on Instagram, Hafez wrote, “7 MONTHS PREGNANT OLYMPIAN!”
“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,” Hafez continued.
She has faced some challenges.
It’s been a challenging road for the mom-to-be, who admitted, “my baby and I had our fair share of challenges, be it both physical and emotional.”
Admitting the “rollercoaster of pregnancy is tough on its own,” Hafez added that “having to fight to keep the balance of life and sports was nothing short of strenuous, however worth it.”
She's proud of her achievement.
In the end, the 26-year-old concluded her post, saying that “pride fills my being for securing my place in the round of 16” and thanked her husband for his trust in her ability to do it all.
“This specific Olympics was different; three times Olympian but this time carrying a little Olympian one!” she shared.
-by Sara Vallone
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