Naomi Osaka talks openly about the support needed to be a mom and an athlete.
The four-time Grand Slam champion, 26, has unveiled a new video announcing her partnership with Bobbie, a pediatric nutrition company founded by her mother.
Osaka cradles a baby as she begins her monologue about the hard work behind her return to tennis. “You know what makes me tick? You,” she says as the camera pans to Osaka, whose daughter Shai’s name can be seen on a necklace worn by the new mom.
“Parents, we push harder,” Osaka — who shares her 6-month-old with rapper Cordae — says as the video ends.
In the caption, she wrote: “Being a parent is hard. As a professional athlete, I’m no stranger to hard work or early mornings, but the past 6 months as a new mom has given me a whole new appreciation and understanding of what parents do every day.”
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Naomi Osaka says she had to fight ‘thoughts I wouldn’t be a good mum’
“Parents, especially moms, have historically been told that babies will get in the way of personal goals—that they will stop you from achieving your dreams. But I’ve found that Shai is my ultimate motivator; she makes me want to achieve greatness,” Osaka continued.
“I’m proud of myself for continuing to chase my dreams while also being a mom. And I realize that I’m lucky to have the support to go back to work this month on my own terms, on my own time. So many American parents don’t have that choice. But EVERYONE does we deserve.”
Osaka went on to explain her partnership with Bobbie, introducing the NO Support Grant to ensure new parents have the resources they need to help their families thrive. Osaka and Bobbie are pledging to give 50 grants — of $580, the minimum monthly allowance that would be available if the Family and Medical Leave Act is passed — to 50 families to provide temporary support while they apply for federal paid leave .
The tennis pro admitted she was “hugely privileged to have the emotional and financial support to take on motherhood without any impact on my career.”
“If anything, from the moment I found out I was pregnant, I was more motivated than ever to keep competing for my daughter, not in spite of her,” reads Osaka’s statement announcing the partnership.
“This is not the collective experience of most Americans, and that’s why paid federal leave is so important all Americans can enter parenthood with the support structures and resources they need to thrive—whatever that looks like for them and their families.”
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Source: HIS Education