Commonwealth Games medallist Bethan Davies' Baby Steps On Comeback Trail After Giving Birth

Bethan Davies. Pic: Owen Morgan

Bethan Davies is on the elite race-walking comeback trail after giving birth for the first time, as Owen Morgan reports.

Commonwealth Games medallist Bethan Davies has taken her first steps back to elite race-walking competition after giving birth for the first time.

The Cardiff athlete’s 10-month-old daughter was trackside as her mum won the Welsh 10,000m title at Cardiff’s International Sports Campus.

The path back to even setting foot onto a track hasn’t been a straightforward one for the multiple British champion.

Davies experienced a difficult pregnancy and birth, during which she could have lost her life.

Following her return to action, the Great Britain international told Dragon Sports that she has barely done any training and wasn’t expecting such a long distance when she entered the championships.

“I was really worried about this race, because when I entered it was only a 5k,” said Davies.

“But it got jumped up to a 10k in the last couple of weeks. And I'm really not ready for a 10k!

“But sometimes you just have to put yourself in an uncomfortable position, which is what I did. I think it was around the slowest I've done on a track. But for me that's amazing, because I've got to be honest, I've hardly done any training.

“I wouldn't actually say I'm back in training. I'm more exercising, so just enjoying motherhood at the moment and recovering from the ordeal of pregnancy and childbirth.”

On the subject of the challenge of returning to competition after giving birth, Davies said: “Every single pregnancy and birth is different.

“I had quite a sickly pregnancy, so I wasn't as active as I wanted to be, and then I had a really traumatic birth. I had quite severe postpartum haemorrhage, and to be honest, I almost died.

“So I think I purposely gave myself a lot of space to deal with that, both physically and emotionally. I think I would say to any mums wanting to return to sport after pregnancy, that every person's journey is different.

“There are some people that will be able to train all the way through pregnancy and will line up on a start line six weeks later. That wasn't my journey, but that's okay, and you need to do what's right for you.

“But having a baby has completely changed my life. I love her so, so much, and I wouldn't change it for the world. It's really lovely now that I have an extra little supporter on the side of the track. She’s almost 11 months, so hopefully next time she'll be zooming around with me!”

Immediately after finishing the race in challenging hot and humid conditions, Davies went over to have a cwtch with her daughter who was trackside with family and friends.

The multiple Welsh record holder said the support had helped her make her return to the track.

“It was really fantastic to do that here in Cardiff, because it's my home track, surrounded by all my family and all my work colleagues and everyone I know. So I think that really helped," she said.

“Now I have to have a bit of a think about the level I want to come back to. But at the moment, I'm feeling good, so watch this space.

“To be perfectly honest, I purposely didn't want to set myself that goal. When you are having a baby, it's such a big unknown, you don't know how you're going to cope with it – physically and mentally.

“Your life completely changes. You can hear her in the background now!”

However, there is a huge incentive coming into view on the horizon with the Glasgow Commonwealth Games just over a year away.

Davies has twice pulled on the red vest at the Games – Birmingham 2022 and on the Gold Coast in Australia, where she came away with a brilliant bronze medal in difficult conditions.

Davies said: “I think the more I get into it, I definitely feel like I'm not done with race walking, and there's a very big goal next year of the Commonwealth Games.

“It's a rather big step up, but actually, I have to beat myself. The time I need to do is the time I did in the last Commonwealth Games. So that's, I think, quite a nice goal, but it's a very short time window.

“I need to have a chat with my coach, but I think sometimes if you're going to go back into training, you may as well put a high goal, and if you don't get it, you don't get it.

“It's another home games. But like I said, I have to go a good seven minutes quicker than I just did today. That feels a bit of a marathon in itself at this point. But as training picks up we’ll see.”