Elite Athletes Speak Out About Paid Leave & Nike's New Policy
for not performing at her best in the months surrounding childbirth.
Here, the trio of runners discuss the latest news from Nike , how they’re setting a precedent for the next generation, and why having paid time off to welcome a new baby matters.Kara Goucher after qualifying for the 2012 Olympic team.Most professional athletes sign contracts between the ages of 18 and 22, so having a baby isn’t the first thing on your mind. I imagined there would be a way to intertwine your milestones because that’s what life is about.
MC: Kara, when your son was three months old, he had an emergency surgery and you had to leave him in the hospital to go running. Tell us about that decision.I felt like I had no choice. Looking back, I wish I had said, “Fuck you.” But I was the sole income provider for our family at that time and I felt so much pressured to get back to competing. You are being held hostage in the situation you’re in.
Pushing myself like that definitely shortened my elite career, but once I stopped getting paid, I knew I was going to have to return quickly. I ran 120 miles a week while nursing, and I had a breakdown in my doctor's office. She said, “You cannot do this. This is too much stress on your body.” But instead of saying to Nike, “I can't run this marathon that you guys want me to run,” I chose to stop nursing my son, which I now regret, but that’s the choice I felt I had to make.
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