Gosh, how I felt for Anna Watkins when she announced her decision not to go for the 2016 Olympics in Rio so that she could spend more time with her baby son, William. She described it as the “hardest decision I’ve ever made”, and millions of us know how that feels. Not that millions of us can begin to understand the pressures of Olympic rowing (as if). But we can relate to the mental tug-of-war that goes on between the lure on the one hand of a fulfilling and successful career that has defined your adult life so far, and the insistent pull from the cot where the big love of your life – that baby with the limpid eyes and beguiling smile – is gazing at you.
In Anna’s case it was an even tougher decision than for most of us. Waiting in the wings was Katherine Grainger, with whom she’d powered to a gold medal in London 2012, and with whom she had every reason to believe she could achieve even more. The rowing world was waiting, too, hoping that the dream team would soon re-form. As pressure goes, that’s about as extreme as it gets.
In the end, despite having had the training plan and childcare all worked out, Anna said that she just couldn’t do it. Some things just count more than rowing, and family is one of them.
It was a brave decision, and I’m sure Anna will be glad she made it. And on those wobbly days, when the river is calling and the baby is grizzling, I hope it might help to know that lots of us out there are still cheering her on, even if it’s just to get out of the house dressed, relatively sane and with her baby in tow rather than over a 2000m course at Dorney. Go, Anna, we’re right behind you.
