Olympics fencer Nada Hafez from Egypt revealed on Monday that she competed at the 2024 Paris Olympics while seven months pregnant, making a seemingly impossible life goal even more impressive.
Hafez proved to be one of the best female fencers in the world as she worked her way to the Olympics while managing to win a match in the Round of 32.
These games were not Hafez’s first Olympic experience; she also participated in the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio and the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo.
The three-time Olympian faced off against Team USA’s Elizabeth Tartakovsky in the Women’s Sabre Individual Round of 32 competition, narrowly defeating the American 15-13 to move into the next round.
During the Round of 16, Hafez matched up against Jeon Hayoung of South Korea before eventually losing 15-7 and being eliminated from the competition.
Regardless of the overall finish, making the Olympics and competing with the best athletes in the world while pregnant is an incredible feat that cannot be overlooked.
Hafez took to Instagram to inform the world about her pregnancy, writing in the post, “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! My baby & I had our fair share of challenges, be it both physical & emotional,” she wrote in the post. “The rollercoaster of pregnancy is tough on its own, but having to fight to keep the balance of life & sports was nothing short of strenuous, however worth it. I’m writing this post to say that pride fills my being for securing my place in the round of 16!”
Although Hafez did not secure a medal during her trip to Paris, she thanked her husband and family for their support.
“This specific Olympics was different; Three times *Olympian* but this time carrying a little Olympian one!” she added at the end of the post.
