Marathon Mum on a Mission | Mother's Day

Spelling tests and Barbies are not part of the equation for many elite-level marathoners, but for seven-time Paralympian Christie Dawes, they are ingrained in the daily schedule right alongside training.

Mother to 11-year-old Charlie and four-year-old Sophie, the life Dawes lives is best described as organised chaos.

“I’m still trying to be an elite athlete because I’m not ready to give up that part of my life yet. I am working as well, and just trying to juggle everything,” Dawes says.

“I think Mums are amazing, and parents in general are amazing.”

Competing at four Paralympics (Atlanta, Sydney, Athens, and Beijing) prior to the birth of her first child, and three (London, Rio, and Tokyo) since then, Dawes is quick to concede that sacrifices to her sporting career are inevitable – despite all intentions of maintaining the equilibrium.

“As an athlete, things that used to be part of my everyday routine are now a bit more of a luxury. I get to go out to train and do all the hard cardio, but things like stretching I consider a luxury. If I am pushed in my schedule, normally the first thing to go will be a gym session,” Dawes says.

“Rest is one of the most underrated things that you can get. If I am pushed or exhausted, I understand the important of rest. If I miss a session, I know that it’s not because I didn’t want to do it but having so much on your plate as a mother and an athlete, it’s important to have that balance.”

While Dawes’ husband Andrew, Athletics Australia’s National Wheelchair Track and Road Coach, heads out to coach athletes in the morning, Dawes orchestrates the morning rush of preparing Charlie and Sophie for school and day care respectively – including making lunches.

“I’ll then go out and do a road or track session, return home to stretch, shower and refuel. After that I’ll get to work through until it’s time to pick up the kids, and then it’s time for homework. And then we do it all again the next day!” Dawes says.

Dawes jokes about the reality of juggling an elite sporting career with a young family, assuming duties spelling test duties while Andrew’s speciality is “the maths guy”, but says creating a support network to assist with favours such as babysitting or picking up some groceries.

“I don’t know what I would do without my family and friends supporting me, I certainly wouldn’t be able to pursue a career as an elite athlete – it’s totally invaluable,” Dawes says.

With financial and logistical challenges coming with travelling to international competitions with two children, Dawes says that travelling alone allows her to focus on her racing, but that doesn’t stop her kids from tuning in.

“My son gets excited when there’s a bit of publicity about me, he’s still young enough not to be embarrassed by it. He likes to say that his Mum is ‘kind of famous’ and doesn’t mind telling that to people,” Dawes says.

With five wheelchair sessions per week and one gym session making for a busy schedule, Dawes will push up to 32km in training to prepare for marathons across the globe – saying her training is tiring yet rewarding.

“I appreciate the time that I have and you can’t afford to have consecutive sessions off, so I think I am used to training under fatigue and pushing myself – I never regret getting out on the road. I’m quite often a lot more productive after training even though I’m a little bit tired,” Dawes says.

This Mother’s Day will provide Dawes with an opportunity to have a rare opportunity to sleep in and have a lazy with Charlie, Sophie and Andrew, providing a rare break from the pressures of sport, work and life – while also celebrating her mother and sister.

“Time with family, no housework, and lots of food,” Dawes says.

By Lachlan Moorhouse, Athletics Australia
Posted: 8/5/2022