Mashable: Passion knows no bounds and Nada Hafez proves it right. The 26-year-old athlete from the Egyptian capital of Cairo, competed in Paris Olympics while 7 months pregnant. Hafez, who graduated from the Kasr Al-Ainy School of Medicine, is now a three-time Olympic fencer following her stints at the Tokyo 2020 and Rio 2016 games.

Nada Hafez let the world know about her extraordinary Paris Olympics experience in a heartfelt Instagram post shared on Tuesday, July 30. “What appears to you as two players on the podium, they were actually three! It was me, my competitor, & my yet-to-come to our world, little baby,” said Hafez labelling herself a “7 MONTHS PREGNANT OLYMPIAN.”

A post shared by Nada Hafez (@nada_hafez)

Though competing while pregnant was a strenuous journey but Hafez confirmed it was all worth it in the end. “My baby & I had our fair share of challenges, be it both physical & emotional. The rollercoaster of pregnancy is tough on its own, but having to fight to keep the balance of life & sports was nothing short of strenuous, however worth it,” she noted.

Hafez thanked her husband Ibrahim Ihab, a Cardiothoracic Surgeon, and her family for their constant support, “I’m lucky to have shared the trust of my husband Ibrahim Ihab and that of my family to be able to come this far.” For Hafez “This specific Olympics was different” as she was carrying a little Olympian inside her womb.

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In the Paris Olympics 2024, Hafez defeated Team USA’s Elizabeth Tartakovsky before losing to Jeon Hayoung from Team South Korea.