I’M PREGNANT AFTER AN OLYMPIC STRUGGLE
RTE’S Evanne not going to Games
RTE sports broadcaster Evanne Ni Chuilinn revealed she won’t be heading to the Olympics “for the best reason” as she announced she’s pregnant with her third child after a long road of fertility struggles.
The presenter, who is already mum to son Seimi, nine, and six-year-old daughter Peigi, revealed she and hubby Brian Fitzsimons have been trying for another baby for the past three years.
Opening up about how IVF helped her conceive in the end, Evanne said: “We’re delighted. It’s been a long road.
“People are shocked when I tell them because I think they make assumptions when you have a nine and a six-year-old, that you’re done. Thankfully IVF worked first time.” She also spoke about the heartbreak along the way, saying: “It’s disheartening each month when it doesn’t happen for you and people don’t really talk about it.
“Everyone has a journey with that stuff and this has been ours.”
The baby is due early next year and Evanne told how she had been sick with hyperemesis, severe sickness and vomiting during her pregnancy.
She said: “I’m just over 13 weeks pregnant and I have very bad hyperemesis, so I feel awful. I have to eat every few hours.”
Evanne was due to go to the Tokyo
Olympics this summer with her pal and colleague Jacqui Hurley to report on it for the national broadcaster, but as she is pregnant and has not yet been vaccinated, she has made the decision not to travel.
She will be reporting on the Paralympics from the safety of an RTE studio instead.
But Evanne said she has no qualms about her decision, telling the RTE Guide: “I love the Olympics and I was meant to go out there.
“But I’m pulling out for the best possible reason and for the only reason I would pull out – for my family and my health.
“Even pre-covid, I probably wouldn’t have travelled as I get so sick with hyperemesis, I wouldn’t be ablefor it.
“I feel so grateful to be where I am, even though I’m so sick.
“My career isn’t my priority this year, I just want to get through my
pregnancy safely.”