Nada Hafez, an Egyptian fencer and three-time Olympian, stunned the global stage at the Paris Olympics by advancing to her competition's round of 16. Even more commendable is that she accomplished this while seven months pregnant.
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The expectant mom won her first match 15-13 against USA in the women's individual sabre competition at the Grand Palais on Monday, July 29, before facing a defeat by South Korea's Jeon Hayoung.
Despite this, the athlete was emotional after securing an impressive win in her opening match and later shared the remarkable news on social media.
"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!" Nada wrote on Instagram.
She continued, "I'm writing this post to say that pride fills my being for securing my place in the round of 16... this specific Olympics was different. Three times Olympian but this time carrying a little Olympian one!"
Nada Hafez' Olympics Journey
Nada, who also competed in the 2016 and 2021 Olympics, shared the news to highlight "the strength and perseverance of Egyptian women."
She wrote, "My baby and I had our fair share of challenges, be it physical and emotional. The rollercoaster of pregnancy is tough on its own, but having to fight to keep the balance of life and sports was nothing short of strenuous, however worth it."
Nada's journey to the Olympics included a series of intense matches against some of the world's top fencers. Her achievements have brought pride beyond her country, and she has now reached another milestone by proving that even pregnant women can excel in demanding sports.
As the 26-year-old athlete exits this year's Olympics, her supporters await her future endeavors, confident that she will continue to achieve greatness in fencing.
Click here to read more stories of women in sports.
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