0:57
- wellness
- July 15, 2021
Olympian on fight to bring nursing baby to Tokyo
Aliphine Tuliamuk is still breastfeeding her 6-month-old daughter Zoe.
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Earlier this month, the Tokyo 2020 Organizing Committee reversed course and said nursing mothers should be allowed to bring their children with them to the games.
\"After careful consideration of the unique situation facing athletes with nursing children, we are pleased to confirm that, when necessary, nursing children will be able to accompany athletes to Japan,\" the committee said in a statement obtained by ABC News.
The wording of the policy still drew criticism from some, with Olympic moms such as U.S. soccer star Alex Morgan pointing out that it is always \"necessary\" for mothers to be with their nursing children.
Still not sure what \"when necessary\" even means. Is that determined by the mother or the IOC? We are Olympic mothers telling you, it is NECESSARY. I have not been contacted about being able to bring my daughter with me to Japan and we leave in 7 days. #Tokyo2020 #USWNT #TeamUSA https://t.co/cNGMt8w0Ss
— Alex Morgan (@alexmorgan13) June 30, 2021
Olympic officials last week said a state of emergency had been declared in Tokyo due to COVID-19 and spectators would not be allowed in venues to watch the games in the city's new stadiums.
Less than two weeks before she is set to travel to Japan, Tuliamuk confirmed she will be able to bring Zoe with her to the Olympics. Also traveling with them will be Gannon, who is permitted to accompany Tuliamuk to the Olympics as her personal coach.
The Tokyo Olympics will begin July 23. The women's marathon is scheduled to be held in Sapporo on Aug. 7, the day before the closing ceremony.
\"I’m just full of gratitude,\" she told \"GMA.\" \"I cannot wait to go to Sapporo and have an amazing race and race for myself, race for my teammates and my sponsors, my family and my daughter.\"
Tuliamuk said she was inspired to speak out and fight for Zoe to join her because she said she knows that \"mom athletes can compete at the highest level of sport.\"
\"If we want to support female athletes, part of being a female athlete is also having a family and if you want to support me as a complete athlete, you should be able to make room for my family. You should be able to make room for me if I decide to have a family,\" said Tuliamuk. \"You can't just talk about supporting women and then not actually support them.\"
![\"PHOTO:](\"http://a.abcnews.com/images/GMA/runner3-file-gty-ml-210714_1626286191536_hpMain_4x3t_384.jpg\")
She said she has also found inspiration from Allyson Felix, Kara Goucher and Alysia Montaño, three female track and field athletes who alleged in 2019 that they were penalized by Nike for being pregnant.
Shortly after they spoke out, Nike announced plans to do more to protect female athletes' pay during and after pregnancy.
\"We've seen over and over that when people use their voices, they deliver change,\" said Tuliamuk, adding that her sponsor, Hoko, has supported her as a mom. \"If Allyson Felix and Kara Goucher and Alysia Montaño hadn't spoken out, I don't know how I would have been treated.\"
\"I feel very lucky because of what women before me have done,\" she said.
Tuliamuk said she also hopes that by speaking out she is helping to create more equal opportunities for future generations of girls, including Zoe.
\"I want to make sure my daughter understands that this world is not easy but that does not mean that you give up. It means that you double down and you work very, very hard and you seize every opportunity that you get,\" she said. \"That's how you achieve your goals.\"
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