There are plenty of examples of top athletes who stop because they become mothers. Inge Jansen (29) was clear after the birth of her daughter Dae June: she wanted to continue diving. However, the Veldhoven native is a different Inge than during the 2021 Olympic Games in Tokyo, where she finished fifth. “My body has deteriorated, I have accepted that. But mentally I am much stronger.”
Inge did not want to stop playing top sport and she is now one of the world’s top athletes again. Due to the expansion of the family with the now 1.5 year old Dae June, her training schedule has been considerably adjusted. “Physically it has become less. I had to get to know myself again, that was a learning process. Pregnancy and childbirth is no small feat and, at 29, I am on the old side in my sport. The competition is on average much younger “I can’t train as much as I used to. I need more recovery time.”
“Full focus, otherwise accidents could happen.”
Resting at home after training is no longer possible with an energetic toddler at home. Add to that the changing night’s sleep. “Dae June sleeps fantastic, but sometimes I have a bad night. Then I have difficulty walking into the pool in the morning with a good feeling. For me it is important to maintain full focus during training, otherwise accidents can happen if I land incorrectly. The combination of top sport and a family is tough, but I enjoy it thoroughly. I would like to go to the Olympic Games again.”
In addition to the physical change, she recently learned what homesickness is. “I never had a problem being abroad for long periods of time. Now when I am at a tournament, I miss my family very much. Fortunately, I have a fantastic friend who gives me the opportunity to pursue my sporting dreams. When I “I’m abroad, he sends a video of our daughter every day. When I’m at the World Cup in Doha next week, we’re going to give a lot of video calls and hand kisses.”
“When I get home, I can deal with a setback more easily.”
The youngest in the house has ensured that her mother has become mentally stronger. “I regularly entered a competition as if my life depended on it. If it didn’t go perfectly, it felt sour. Now jumping is no longer the most important thing. When I come home and I see our daughter’s smiling face, it’s easier for me to deal with a setback process.”
Inge has been a regular at the Pieter van den Hoogenband Swimming Stadium in Eindhoven for seventeen years. Until Dae June, diving was the most important thing in her life, everything had to make way for it. Would she motivate her daughter if, like Inge, she has sky-high sporting ambitions? “If she starts talking about the Olympics early in any sport like I did, then we will support her.”
“It’s great to be at the top. The feeling of winning, a lot of discipline and you see a lot of the world. But I will also say that it is tough. You are away from home a lot, you always have to rest and Pay attention to your diet and when your friends go out, you often can’t come along.”