Olympic athletes have enough on their plates without worrying about the detrimental effects of spending several weeks away from their very young children. But for many Olympic and Paralympic athletes who are also parents, especially mothers, that has been the harsh reality of competing at the highest level in their sport.
The 2024 Summer Games in Paris are taking steps to make the Olympic experience more inclusive for parents. Through an initiative spearheaded by the IOC Athletes’ Commission, including retired U.S. sprinter Allyson Felix, and supported by the diaper brand Pampers, the Olympic Village will feature a dedicated nursery for the first time.
Situated in the non-residential Plaza area of the Olympic Village (only athletes and team officials can stay in the residential section), the Pampers Nursery will be open daily from 9 am to 9 pm, giving athletes and their infants and young toddlers the opportunity to spend time together in a relaxing, conveniently located space. The nursery will provide play areas, a private space for breastfeeding, and a changing area with Pampers diapers and wipes. To use the Pampers Nursery, athletes must have applied for guest passes for their children and their “dedicated caregivers” from their respective National Olympic Committees.
The French National Olympic and Sports Committee is also reserving rooms at a hotel near the Olympic Village so that French athletes will have an additional space for breastfeeding and can stay there with their children if they wish. There will also be a space for French athletes to spend time with their children of any age and further accommodations for the young children of French Paralympians to receive guest passes to the Olympic Village.
Parents at the top of their game:
- At the last Summer Olympics, held in Tokyo in 2021, parents with young children were faced with pandemic-era restrictions on family members accompanying athletes to the Games. After an outcry from athletes such as Canadian basketball star Kim Gaucher, who was then breastfeeding her four-month-old daughter, Sophie, the organizers ultimately changed their rules so that children who were nursing could accompany their athlete parents to Tokyo “when necessary.”
- Allyson Felix retired in 2022 as one of the most decorated track and field athletes in history, with a record 20 World Athletics Championship medals and 11 Olympic medals (including seven gold medals). She is also the mother of a daughter born in 2018 (while Felix was still competing) and a son born in 2024. Praising the accommodations at this year’s games, Felix commented, “I think it really tells women that you can choose motherhood and also be at the top of your game and not have to miss a beat.”
- The Pampers brand is owned by Procter & Gamble (P&G). As a Worldwide Olympic Partner, P&G will be supporting a wide range of services for athletes at the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games, including laundry rooms, salons, and a dental clinic. Athletes will have access to products from P&G brands like Pantene, Head & Shoulders, Gillette, Ariel, Always, and Oral-B.
