Latest news with #LauraKenny
Scotsman
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Scotsman
Dame Laura Kenny on the highs and lows post-pregnancy
Dame Laura Kenny is speaking out on the highs and lows of post-pregnancy body image after a difficult first public appearance at Wimbledon Free weekly newsletter Join our weekly YourWorld newsletter for updates, behind-the-scenes insights from our editors and your chance to shape what's next. Free weekly newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... The 33-year-old gave birth to her third child and first daughter, Lily, in early May and has since returned to work and public events, including an appearance alongside husband Jason at the Wimbledon Championships earlier this month. Kenny admitted that it wasn't all sunshine and roses in the lead-up to the event, struggling to find a dress that she felt comfortable in so soon after giving birth, which would also allow her to feed her daughter during the day. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Posting to her 221k followers on Instagram, the five-time Olympic champion opened up about the mental and emotional toll being a mother to a newborn can have on you and was overwhelmed to see such an incredible response from others in a similar position. Dame Laura Kenny in her role as President of Commonwealth Games England "I find it hugely important to post about this stuff, especially from a women's point of view," she said. "We actually looked at the digital response and there were 1.5 million views and 86% were female on that post alone. "That's why it's so important, and that's why I posted it, because I want every other mum that's sitting at home to know how I was feeling. "You see a nice happy photo of us at Wimbledon, but that wasn't the backstory. The backstory was me actually quite upset, trying to find an outfit because I felt like I didn't look like me, and I'm having to put myself in the limelight, and find a dress that will let me feed my child. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad "Yes, going to Wimbledon is a choice, but it is also something that I wanted to do, and I shouldn't have to give that up." Kenny retired from her career in the velodrome in March 2024 and has since stepped into a new role as President of Commonwealth Games England. It is a role she took on at seven months pregnant and one that she has taken in stride, having already attended her first board meeting less than 12 weeks after giving birth. And even though Lily might admittedly be the easiest of her three children when it comes to sleeping, Kenny knows that returning to work so quickly is hardly the norm for most mothers. She also noted that it is something she enjoys, having always embraced chaos in the workplace. "Some people think it's a bit mental coming back so soon," she said. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad "I mean, I filmed a podcast when she was just two days old, and it didn't even occur to me that it was kind of mental. "Our line of work is a bit random, and it is a bit all over the place, and so it's always been like that. "I trained with Albie, and he just travelled the world with us so for me, I've actually never known any different and so I'm just enjoying it again. "I'm not going to say it's not difficult, but I like the mayhem and absolute carnage." Kenny's new role is quickly heating up, with today marking one year to go until the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games. It is a milestone that the former track cyclist knows well from her time as an athlete, believing that it was a key moment for athletes to nail down their targets. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad "From an athlete's point of view, you can think that the Games are coming around really fast, and it can almost seem a little bit scary," she said. "But I think it feels scary, and it feels daunting because it means so much to you. I think it brings a whole host of emotion. "I always felt like a year to go was really achievable. I could set a target by that point." But from her new stead as President, Kenny admitted that she is relishing the new behind-the-scenes aspect that she has access to. From board meetings about accommodation to talking through athlete selection processes, Kenny has a whole new world of insight into what happens to make a Commonwealth Games come to life. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad And with the clock ticking down until the opening day of competition on 23 July 2026 in Glasgow, she is more than ready to get stuck in. "I'm so excited," she said. "The reason I took the role in the first place was because I felt like I wanted to give back to the athletes and because Team England have played a huge part in my career. "So, the bit that I'm obviously most excited about is actually talking to the athletes and getting involved and that will only ramp up from now."
The Irish Sun
06-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
Olympic legend Dame Laura Kenny gives birth to a baby daughter after years of fertility heartbreak
AN Olympic legend has welcomed a baby daughter after years of struggling with her fertility. Congratulations are in order because Dame Laura Kenny, who won five Olympic gold medals before her retirement, has given birth to a baby girl. 5 Laura revealed the news on Monday 5 Jason and Laura are both Olympians Credit: Reuters 5 They are both gold medal winners Credit: PA 5 In 2022 they received their Knight Bachelor and Dame Commander medals respectively Credit: PA Laura and her fellow Olympian husband The 33-year-old sporting icon took to Instagram on Monday to share the exciting news of her family's new addition. She posted a sweet snap of the newborn baby girl with her older brothers Albie and Monty. "Three's the magic number. Lilian Joyce Kenny Born on 4/5/25 at 10.44am. Weighing 8.0lbs," she revealed in the caption. Read More about Babies She added: "Can't stop calling her, him. There was only ever one name we had in mind for a daughter. A mix of both our Nan's names." Laura concluded the caption by writing: "Our beautiful little family is complete." Fans flocked to the comments section in an instant to congratulate the happy couple and their "complete" family. 'OUR FAMILY IS COMPLETE' One person wrote: "Congratulations to you all, what a gorgeous family you are and I'm so happy to hear of her safe arrival! Sending you loads and loads of love." Most read in Showbiz Another said: "Congratulations such a lovely family . Those 3 little ones really cannot grasp yet ..what legends their mummy and daddy are." "Beautiful name for a beautiful girl," swooned a third. Olympic legend Laura Kenny fights back tears live on Channel 4's Crufts as she reveals heartbreaking death "Huge congratulations to you and your family! What a beautiful name. I hope you're all doing well," said a fourth. Laura married fellow cycling icon Jason Kenny before they welcomed their first baby, Albie, in 2017. After securing another gold medal in 2021, she then miscarried that November. And just five months later she had an ectopic pregnancy. Pregnancy Myths explained There are a lot of strange myths around pregnancy - and some of them may surprise you... Is it okay to eat Can you have Can you get a tattoo while you're pregnant Is it safe to take Can you eat In 2023, she then welcomed another son, Monty. Speaking on Radio 4 about her fertility struggles previously, she said: "Everything was a shock - I went from being so in control of my body to being so out of control." She also said: "Was my body just running on empty, and then it said, 'Well, hang on, there's no way we can do this?'." She spoke about how elite sport might have a damaging impact on the fertility of female athletes. LAURA'S RETIREMENT In 2024, Laura retired from cycling as a sports person. She told BBC Breakfast last summer: "I always knew deep down I would know when was the right time. "I have had an absolute blast but now is the time to hang up the bike. "It's been in my head for a little while, the sacrifices of leaving the children and your family at home is really quite big and it is a really big decision to make." She went on: "More and more, I was struggling to do that. "More people asked me what races I was doing, what training camps I was going on. "I didn't want to go ultimately and that's what it came down to." During her career, Laura won five Olympic golds, seven world golds, 14 European golds, two Commonwealth titles, and six golds at the European Under 23 Championships. 5 Laura Kenny has opened up about her fertility woes before Credit: Channel 4
Scottish Sun
06-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
Olympic legend Dame Laura Kenny gives birth to a baby daughter after years of fertility heartbreak
AN Olympic legend has welcomed a baby daughter after years of struggling with her fertility. Congratulations are in order because Dame Laura Kenny, who won five Olympic gold medals before her retirement, has given birth to a baby girl. 5 Laura revealed the news on Monday 5 Jason and Laura are both Olympians Credit: Reuters 5 They are both gold medal winners Credit: PA 5 In 2022 they received their Knight Bachelor and Dame Commander medals respectively Credit: PA Laura and her fellow Olympian husband Jason Kenny endured years of fertility woes, but are now proud parents to three children. The 33-year-old sporting icon took to Instagram on Monday to share the exciting news of her family's new addition. She posted a sweet snap of the newborn baby girl with her older brothers Albie and Monty. "Three's the magic number. Lilian Joyce Kenny Born on 4/5/25 at 10.44am. Weighing 8.0lbs," she revealed in the caption. Read More about Babies BABY JOY! Lily Collins reveals she's become a mum as she welcomes baby into the world She added: "Can't stop calling her, him. There was only ever one name we had in mind for a daughter. A mix of both our Nan's names." Laura concluded the caption by writing: "Our beautiful little family is complete." Fans flocked to the comments section in an instant to congratulate the happy couple and their "complete" family. 'OUR FAMILY IS COMPLETE' One person wrote: "Congratulations to you all, what a gorgeous family you are and I'm so happy to hear of her safe arrival! Sending you loads and loads of love." Another said: "Congratulations such a lovely family . Those 3 little ones really cannot grasp yet ..what legends their mummy and daddy are." "Beautiful name for a beautiful girl," swooned a third. Olympic legend Laura Kenny fights back tears live on Channel 4's Crufts as she reveals heartbreaking death "Huge congratulations to you and your family! What a beautiful name. I hope you're all doing well," said a fourth. Laura married fellow cycling icon Jason Kenny before they welcomed their first baby, Albie, in 2017. After securing another gold medal in 2021, she then miscarried that November. And just five months later she had an ectopic pregnancy. Pregnancy Myths explained There are a lot of strange myths around pregnancy - and some of them may surprise you... Is it okay to eat prawns when you're pregnant? Can you have sex during a pregnancy? Can you get a tattoo while you're pregnant Is it safe to take paracetamol when you're pregnant? Can you eat mozzarella when you're pregnant? In 2023, she then welcomed another son, Monty. Speaking on Radio 4 about her fertility struggles previously, she said: "Everything was a shock - I went from being so in control of my body to being so out of control." She also said: "Was my body just running on empty, and then it said, 'Well, hang on, there's no way we can do this?'." She spoke about how elite sport might have a damaging impact on the fertility of female athletes. LAURA'S RETIREMENT In 2024, Laura retired from cycling as a sports person. She told BBC Breakfast last summer: "I always knew deep down I would know when was the right time. "I have had an absolute blast but now is the time to hang up the bike. "It's been in my head for a little while, the sacrifices of leaving the children and your family at home is really quite big and it is a really big decision to make." She went on: "More and more, I was struggling to do that. "More people asked me what races I was doing, what training camps I was going on. "I didn't want to go ultimately and that's what it came down to." During her career, Laura won five Olympic golds, seven world golds, 14 European golds, two Commonwealth titles, and six golds at the European Under 23 Championships.
The Sun
06-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Olympic legend Dame Laura Kenny gives birth to a baby daughter after years of fertility heartbreak
AN Olympic legend has welcomed a baby daughter after years of struggling with her fertility. Congratulations are in order because Dame Laura Kenny, who won five Olympic gold medals before her retirement, has given birth to a baby girl. 5 5 5 Laura and her fellow Olympian husband Jason Kenny endured years of fertility woes, but are now proud parents to three children. The 33-year-old sporting icon took to Instagram on Monday to share the exciting news of her family's new addition. She posted a sweet snap of the newborn baby girl with her older brothers Albie and Monty. "Three's the magic number. Lilian Joyce Kenny Born on 4/5/25 at 10.44am. Weighing 8.0lbs," she revealed in the caption. She added: "Can't stop calling her, him. There was only ever one name we had in mind for a daughter. A mix of both our Nan's names." Laura concluded the caption by writing: "Our beautiful little family is complete." Fans flocked to the comments section in an instant to congratulate the happy couple and their "complete" family. 'OUR FAMILY IS COMPLETE' One person wrote: "Congratulations to you all, what a gorgeous family you are and I'm so happy to hear of her safe arrival! Sending you loads and loads of love." Another said: "Congratulations such a lovely family . Those 3 little ones really cannot grasp yet ..what legends their mummy and daddy are." "Beautiful name for a beautiful girl," swooned a third. Olympic legend Laura Kenny fights back tears live on Channel 4's Crufts as she reveals heartbreaking death "Huge congratulations to you and your family! What a beautiful name. I hope you're all doing well," said a fourth. Laura married fellow cycling icon Jason Kenny before they welcomed their first baby, Albie, in 2017. After securing another gold medal in 2021, she then miscarried that November. And just five months later she had an ectopic pregnancy. Pregnancy Myths explained There are a lot of strange myths around pregnancy - and some of them may surprise you... Is it okay to eat prawns when you're pregnant? Can you have sex during a pregnancy? Can you get a tattoo while you're pregnant Is it safe to take paracetamol when you're pregnant? Can you eat mozzarella when you're pregnant? In 2023, she then welcomed another son, Monty. Speaking on Radio 4 about her fertility struggles previously, she said: "Everything was a shock - I went from being so in control of my body to being so out of control." She also said: "Was my body just running on empty, and then it said, 'Well, hang on, there's no way we can do this?'." She spoke about how elite sport might have a damaging impact on the fertility of female athletes. LAURA'S RETIREMENT In 2024, Laura retired from cycling as a sports person. She told BBC Breakfast last summer: "I always knew deep down I would know when was the right time. "I have had an absolute blast but now is the time to hang up the bike. "It's been in my head for a little while, the sacrifices of leaving the children and your family at home is really quite big and it is a really big decision to make." She went on: "More and more, I was struggling to do that. "More people asked me what races I was doing, what training camps I was going on. "I didn't want to go ultimately and that's what it came down to." During her career, Laura won five Olympic golds, seven world golds, 14 European golds, two Commonwealth titles, and six golds at the European Under 23 Championships. 5
Daily Mail
06-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Dame Laura Kenny gives birth! Olympian welcomes a daughter with her husband Jason as couple reveal sweet name after years of fertility woes
Dame has welcomed a daughter with fellow Olympian Jason Kenny after years of fertility woes. The sports star took to Instagram on Monday as she posted an adorable snap of the new born with her older brothers Albie and Monty. Sharing her sweet name she penned: 'Three's the magic number. Lilian Joyce Kenny Born on 4/5/25 at 10.44am. Weighing 8.0lbs.' She joked: 'Can't stop calling her, him. There was only ever one name we had in mind for a daughter. A mix of both our Nan's names. 'Our beautiful little family is complete'. Laura has been very open about her fertility struggles after she previously revealed elite sport may have caused her 'out of control' body to suffer a miscarriage. Sharing her sweet name Lilian Joyce Kenny, she penned: 'Three's the magic number' Dame Laura, Britain's most successful female athlete, boasts five gold medals and a silver from three separate Olympic games. She says she 'gave 100 per cent' to every training session and race for more than a decade, even questioning if she had worked hard enough if she did not throw up after a workout. But her commitment may have had an impact on her fertility, she has revealed. After marrying fellow cycling phenomenon Jason and welcoming their first child in 2017, she miscarried in November 2021 and had an ectopic pregnancy five months later. This occurs when a fertilised egg implants and grows outside of the womb - usually in one of the fallopian tubes - requiring emergency surgery. 'Everything was a shock - I went from being so in control of my body to being so out of control,' she told Radio 4's Today programme. 'Was my body just running on empty, and then it said, 'Well, hang on, there's no way we can do this?' While she successfully gave birth to another son, Monty, in July 2023, she had started to talk publicly about her baby losses. She took to Instagram on New Year's Eve to share her pregnancy news, posting a video of her children wearing T-shirts that read 'I'm going to be a big brother to a baby'. Laura captioned the post: '2024 was wonderful, 2025 is going to be even more special.' She was congratulated by other sporting legends, with swimmer Rebecca Adlington writing: 'Congratulations ❤️❤️'; and heptathlete Jessica Ennis-Hill commenting: 'I knew it ❤️ congratulations to you both'. Other athletes soon revealed they had been through the same thing - raising questions as to whether elite sport could have a damaging impact on fertility. Dr Emma O'Donnell, an exercise physiologist at Loughborough University, said the lifestyle of a professional athlete puts a unique strain on the human body. Laura, who suffered a miscarriage and an ectopic pregnancy went on to welcome her sons Monty and Albie - Albie was born in 2017 and Monty in 2023 Training at their level burns an incredibly high number of calories and as a result, athletes often have very little body fat. If they don't eat enough food to fuel their workouts then issues with menstrual cycles - such as periods stopping for months or even years - are 'very common', Dr O'Donnell said. The leading idea if that having a baby is so energy-intensive that the brain shuts off reproduction if it thinks there isn't enough spare energy available, she told the BBC. In the UK around one in every 90 pregnancies is ectopic - the equivalent of around 11,000 per year. While it is still unclear why they occur, inflammation and scar tissue in the fallopian tubes can increase the risk. Professor Geeta Nargund, a consultant at St George's Hospital and medical director of Create Fertility, said she doesn't see a 'direct link' between sports and a higher risk of an ectopic pregnancy. However, she said there was a potential link between too much intense exercise in the first three months of pregnancy and miscarriage. During a chat with Women's Health in June, Laura opened up about how the heartbreak of her miscarriage and ectopic pregnancy completely changed her mindset and she was left wanting a baby over any sporting medal. The cyclist, who announced her retirement from the sport back in March, confessed she found herself frustrated with her body as she could her push herself to incredible physical heights, yet she couldn't have a baby. What is an ectopic pregnancy? An ectopic pregnancy is when a fertilised egg implants itself outside of the womb, usually in one of the fallopian tubes. The fallopian tubes are the tubes connecting the ovaries to the womb. If an egg gets stuck in them, it won't develop into a baby and your health may be at risk if the pregnancy continues. Unfortunately, it's not possible to save the pregnancy. It usually has to be removed using medicine or an operation. In the UK, around 1 in every 90 pregnancies is ectopic. This is around 11,000 pregnancies a year. Source: NHS She told the publication: 'I cannot tell you how sad I was for a year to 18 months. I mean, you could ask Jase how I was, I was a different person. 'I just went within myself because it was consuming. And all I wanted was this little baby; I didn't want gold medals, you know, I didn't want to go and race in the Commonwealth Games. I wanted a baby. And it just wasn't happening.' Before the birth of her second son and a year after her ectopic pregnancy Laura won a silver medal at the 2022 Commonwealth Games but admitted she didn't find happiness in the win. She explained: 'I was like, why will [my body] do that and it won't do the one thing that I just want the most... 'I felt like I was living in this yin and yang world where you could only have one of them. 'And when you're an athlete who has had so much control over their body for so long, it literally just felt like the carpet had been ripped out from underneath me because all of a sudden I wasn't in control of it, and there was nothing that I could do.' While she added that she doesn't want to label her sadness at the time as depression, she confessed: 'I'd hate to put a label on myself, but that was the lowest I've been – 100%. It was mentally the toughest period of my life.' Laura also opened up about how the miscarriage affected her husband. 'No one asked him if he was okay, and how he was feeling,' she explained. 'And so I guess I totally underestimated how much I was using him and how much I was talking to him and never actually saying, "Jase, are you actually okay yourself?" 'And it wasn't until quite a long time after could even tell me how bad it was for him, too.' Back in March Laura explained she had made the decision to hang up her bike after struggling to spend time away from her children and the sacrifice of leaving her family at home. Speaking about the struggle of balancing both elite sport and motherhood she admitted that it is doable but it comes with sacrifice, and she wasn't 100% at her best for the Tokyo Olympics. 'It it comes with sacrifice. And you've got to be prepared for a non-perfect I think I went into Tokyo absolutely 100% at my best? No, of course I don't. 'Because rest days weren't rest days and any time I was at home, I wasn't sat on the sofa like Jase and I used to be. I was out on the trampoline, I was playing in the do I think it was harder? Yes. [But] it doesn't need to be incompatible.' Discussing the birth of her second child, Monty, Laura said he completely changed her mindset as an athlete. She explained: 'I felt so privileged to be able to have been pregnant again and then bring him into the world [that] I was just struggling to leave him. 'I couldn't leave him for training sessions because, why would I? All I wanted was him.' Laura admitted she left her son Albie at home dur to Covid protocols during the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 and found it 'heart-wrenching'. 'I'm not really a the only time that Albie ever remembers Mummy crying is when I had to leave him to go to the Olympics. 'And it just felt like someone literally ripped my heart out and was just throwing it away. It was awful. I remember messaging Jase when I was in the [Athletes'] Village, just saying, 'I hope that I never feel like this again.'
