Mum Emily Seebohm aims for fifth Olympic Games while juggling baby duties

Queensland swimming great Emily Seebohm was certain Tokyo would be her last Olympics, as she joined an elite group of swimmers by winning a medal at four consecutive Games. However, her baby boy has changed all that.

Olympic swimming champion Emily Seebohm swimming with son Sampson at Centenary Pool in Spring Hill. Picture Lachie Millard

Olympic swimmer Emily Seebohm is no stranger to breaking records, but her latest endeavour is perhaps her most challenging yet.

With her eyes set on her fifth Olympic Games in Paris, Seebohm is not only contending with the rigorous demands of elite training but also navigating the joys and trials of motherhood.

Seebohm, 32, gave birth to her son, Sampson, last September, and she’s attempting to become the first mother on an Australian Olympic swimming team since Hayley Lewis in 2000.

In 2021, Seebohm believed her fourth Olympics in Tokyo would be her last, as she joined an elite group of swimmers by medalling at four consecutive Games.

However, her pregnancy changed her perspective.

Olympic swimming champion Emily Seebohm with son Sampson at Centenary Pool in Spring Hill. Picture Lachie Millard

“After Tokyo, I asked myself ‘why am I stopping?’ Because I’m not injured, I’m not sick, I’m not mentally out of it. I thought I had to because I was almost 30,” she said.

“When I was pregnant with Sampson – I was like ‘I would kill to be back in the water and working really hard and being able to do all that stuff again’. And then I realised there’s no real reason why I can’t do it, so I decided once I have Sampson, I might just give it a go.”

Training for the Australian swimming trials, which kick off at Brisbane Aquatic Centre on June 10, has been a different experience for Seebohm this time around.

She admitted that balancing a baby’s schedule with a demanding training regimen has been challenging at times.

“It’s all about Sampson now,” she shared.

“When he naps, that’s when I can rest or do my own things.”

Seebohm’s daily routine revolves around early mornings, intense training sessions, and the needs of her son.

“Some days, it’s tough with only five or six hours of sleep, but I nap with Sampson to make up for it,” she said.

Despite the challenges, she remains committed to her sport, drawing strength from her role as a mother.

Seebohm admits balancing a baby’s schedule with a demanding training regimen has been challenging at times. Picture Lachie Millard

“There’s a certain ‘mum power’ that drives me. Seeing my own mum’s resilience has been inspiring,” she said.

The stakes are high at the 2024 Australian Trials, the sole selection event for the Dolphins Swimming Team heading to Paris.

Seebohm knows the competition will be fierce but remains optimistic.

“It’s all about seeing what I can do. I’m in a good place, I know I’m strong and ready to go,” she said.

“I can only control what I can do and not control what anyone else can do.”

If selected, Seebohm plans to have her family in Paris, a possibility made more feasible by the Olympic Village’s new provisions for athlete mothers.

“They now have a nursery where we can spend time with our kids, which is a huge step forward,” she said.

As Seebohm approaches what she acknowledges will likely be her final Olympic bid, she’s grateful for the journey and the support from her fiance, Ryan Gallagher, and their son.

Whether or not Sampson follows her swimming pedigree, Seebohm is focused on ensuring he loves the water and grows up safe around it.

“He absolutely adores going swimming every weekend, we’ve been going since he was like three months old,” she said.

“It’s good to see him enjoy it, I’m not set on him being a swimmer, but I do want him to be comfortable in the water, and be able to spend hours in the water, like I used to.”

Tickets are on sale now to watch the 2024 Australian Swimming Trials from June 10 to 15 at the Brisbane Aquatics Centre via the SwimAus website.