Solo parenting five young kids for half the week would be daunting for some, but seven-time Olympic medallist Libby Trickett is hardly one to shy away from a challenge. The retired swimmer has gradually learnt to roll with the punches over her decade of motherhood and now her youngest, five-month-old Archie, is taking notes!
“Being the youngest of five, I think you kind of just have to go with the flow,” Libby tells Woman’s Day. “The amount of time that poor kid has spent in the car! It’s a lot between drop offs and sports and activities and birthday parties on weekends. I think we’ve hit the ground running as a family of seven.”
She adds of the new family dynamic, “It’s awesome, it’s absolute chaos at all times but I really have just loved having a big family to see all the relationships forming. My oldest daughter Poppy is incredibly loving and thoughtful – she’s been particularly fun to watch with Archie.”
Just over 12 years after a wrist injury forced her into retirement, Libby, 40, has found a role that matches the fulfilment she felt during her swimming career – a hands-on mum to Poppy, 10, Edwina, seven, Bronte, six, Alfie, two and the newest family member, Archie.
“I consider myself a stay at home mum, that’s my primary role in life, and I’m really proud of that work because it is really hard work,” Libby says. “It’s what I’ve chosen to do with my time and I’m lucky that between my husband and I, we’ve been able to make that work financially.”
With husband Luke – a former competitive swimmer whom she married in 2007 – away for work in Melbourne four days of the week, getting the kids out the door in the morning has its hurdles. Libby dismisses the “supermum” tag but with no extra family help or nannies, she’s more than deserving of the title!
“My mum was living next door for a period of time but she’s now moved to Bendigo,” she explains. “But I think it’s a real privilege to be able to [be a stay at home mum]. It’s not for everybody, I totally understand why some women need work outside of the house, or have to work outside of the house.”
When she does get the chance to dip into some work, Libby is adamant that it’s “valuable” work, and becoming an ambassador for DrinkWise and raising awareness about Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) is a prime example of that.
From her first pregnancy, Libby recalls her doctors instilling in her that no alcohol was the “benchmark” – a message she believes has come in “leaps and bounds” in recent years.
“Now, it’s very, very clear that zero alcohol is where everyone should be, not just during pregnancy but from planning to breastfeeding as well,” she says. “To get that conversation out there about the risks involved with FASD and the fact that they are 100 preventable by abstaining from alcohol is so incredibly important.”
The former athlete also has a message for partners, friends and family: go alcohol free to show your support!
“I mean, the woman has the hardest job – pregnancy is incredibly taxing on your body. If you’re really, really lucky, you may sashay through pregnancy and be one of those women who feel amazing and vibrant but for the majority, it’s a bit shit!” she admits.
“Physically, I hated being pregnant – it’s the hardest physical thing I’ve ever done and I’ve been to the Olympics, which is pretty bloody hard!”
That said, could she be convinced to have a sixth baby down the track? “The shape of our family is complete, things have been ‘taken care of’, but… I could be convinced of having more and more because I love it,” Libby laughs. “My body is telling me absolutely I’m done, but I kind of feel like I did after swimming – I reckon I could have kept going forever.”
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