Ending Olympic dream seemed crazy but I chose to follow heart
Athlete Lynsey talks about giving up on games to become a mum
MUM-TO-BE Lynsey Sharp has opened her heart about the tears she shed every month as she dreamed of starting a family while in training for the 2020 Olympics.
The 31-year-old middle-distance athlete pulled out of contention for the Tokyo games after she and fiance Andrew Butchart announced in May they were expecting their first baby.
Commonwealth and Olympic finalist Lynsey said that while training for the event she became “obsessed” with being a mum – but struggled with having a new dream away from the track.
Lynsey, of Dumfries, who is seven months pregnant, added: “It’s hard to describe but like clockwork each month it would suddenly hit me. I would become obsessive over dreaming of starting a family.
“It was subconscious but allconsuming. I cried a lot. At times I couldn’t focus on anything else in life.
“During one of these times, we (Andy and I) chatted. For hours. ‘Why not just … go with your heart?’
“I don’t know why but it was like I needed someone else to tell me what I really wanted to hear.
“I’ve always believed in following your heart. If it’s meant to be, it’ll be. But ending my Olympic dreams – this time round – seemed crazy. That’s all everyone knew me as – an athlete that works in Olympic cycles. Was it OK to pursue another dream?”
Lynsey, whose sprinter dad Cameron Sharp won a Commonwealth gold medal, had a cancer scare in 2019, when a smear test led to her having surgery to remove precancerous cells.
She said that when deciding to pause her career to start a family, the coronavirus lockdown, not liking the idea of running at an Olympic Games with no crowds cheering from the stands and being dropped by her sponsor helped convince her the time was right.
Lynsey, whose fiance is also a Scottish champion runner and Tokyo Olympics 5000m finalist, said: “This dream began before the world changed in 2020. But during a global pandemic … staying focused … was hard at times.
“I miss racing so badly. But I didn’t like the look of racing in front of empty stands.
“Being dropped by my sponsor months out from the postponed games was also a bitter pill to swallow during an already tough time.”
Lynsey plans to return to professional running after the birth.
I have always believed in following your heart LYNSEY ON DECISION TO PULL OUT OF OLYMPICS