Australian Olympic champion Libby Trickett has opened up about her large family, the challenges of pregnancy and why her fifth child will be her last – as she reveals her new role.
Trickett, who retired from competitive swimming in 2013, welcomed her fifth child, Archie, in April this year.
The 40-year-old said afterwards that she was ‘almost’ certain that she was done growing her family – and now confirms that.
‘I’m definitely all done,’ Trickett told Daily Mail Australia.
‘Archie is a beautiful little bub to kind of finish on. He’s really happy and he’s a great fullstop for our family.’
Trickett, who knows a thing or two about pregnancy, has recently become an ambassador for DrinkWise and is raising awareness about Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD).
Libby Trickett (pictured) gave birth to her fifth child, son Archie, in April this year
Trickett, who retired from swimming in 2013, says the shape of her family is now complete
FASD a lifelong neurodevelopmental condition caused by alcohol exposure during pregnancy, leading to physical, mental, behavioral, and learning disabilities.
‘Obviously having five children, I am really passionate about giving kids a really great start in life,’ said Trickett.
‘Choosing to go alcohol free for my pregnancies was kind of a no brainer, I guess, in terms of that the whole pregnancy journey.
‘But the more that I learned about FASD and how those risks and implications can be lifelong, and the fact that it’s 100 per cent preventable through going alcohol free, it really was a no brainer for me to lend my voice to and and help start those national conversations around abstaining from alcohol.’
The swimming champion said that her pregnancies took a huge toll on her body.
‘Pregnancy, for me, is a million times harder than training for the Olympics,’ she said.
‘If I’m honest, it’s incredibly brutal, I think on so many women, not just carrying extra weight, but, you know, I had high blood pressure through all of my pregnancies.
‘I had two normal births and three Cesareans, one of which was an emergency. And, yeah, it’s taxing.’
Trickett (pictured with husband Luke and baby Archie) says that pregnancy for her was harder than training for the Olympics
Trickett says pregnancy is incredibly brutal on lots of women
The swimming great is now is raising awareness for Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD)
‘Then you go into sleep deprivation and recovering from not only the burst, but also from pregnancy as well.
‘I think the biggest takeaway for me is just [the importance of] being kind to yourself and being super, super patient, making sure you’re getting that support that you need, both emotionally and physically, is incredibly important.’
When asked what people’s reactions are like to her super-sized family, Trickett laughed.
‘I always preface it by saying, I’m not a trad wife,’ she said.
‘I subconsciously get the feeling that people like, “Oh my god, a circus has arrived” when we kind of come in. But I think, honestly, people are really lovely about it. I have a lot of people who say, “I wish I had more”.
‘I either get that “I wish we had more”, or “I don’t know what you’re thinking”, or “Don’t you have a hobby?” or “Do you have a television at home? Those kinds of comments, but I we just love it.
‘It’s not something we ever expected we would have had. It’s five kids we only ever imagined having two, like most normal people, probably,
‘But both my husband and I just continued to fall in love with our children, I guess, and we just loved the idea of having a bigger family after each one.’
