MOTHER COURAGE
HIGH-PROFILE CHILDREN TELL HOW THEIR MUMS’ STRENGTH TRIUMPHS OVER CHALLENGES
The love and commitment of mothers to their children stretches far beyond a single day of celebration, as the stories of three high-profile Tasmanian mums and children show. Tomorrow’s Mother’s Day celebration is the perfect opportunity to reflect on the important role mums play in our lives
ARIARNE & ROBYN TITMUS
Ariarne Titmus didn’t buy a gift for her mum Robyn’s recent birthday. But the 17-year-old schoolgirl had a pretty good excuse. “I didn’t get Mum a birthday present because it was during the Commonwealth Games,” explains Australia’s newest golden girl of the pool, who picked up three gold medals and one silver medal at last month’s Gold Coast games. “So I probably should make up for that on Mother’s Day.”
However, Robyn isn’t fazed. She says she received the best present imaginable watching her eldest daughter swim on the world stage.
A former track star herself – she was a national champion sprinter in her younger days – Robyn understands the dedication required to be an elite athlete and the rush of competing, which Ariarne says is one of the reasons she and her mum are so close.
“A lot of parents don’t understand why you do the volume of training you do for a couple of race meets a year,” explains Ariarne, who trains for 40 hours a week both in and out of the pool.
“If you have a bad swim they say ‘why do you take it so seriously?’ But Mum knows what it means to be able to perform, she knows that adrenaline rush when you race. If I’ve had a big day of training and I’m a bit tired and grumpy she doesn’t take it personally, she knows I just need to have a bit of a sleep. And that makes it a lot easier.”
That understanding prompted the Titmus family to uproot their lives in Launceston and move to Brisbane in 2015 to ensure Ariarne had the best training on offer.
Robyn says it was a big move, but it was an easy decision in a lot of ways as she and husband Steve – a former Southern Cross newsreader – had absolute belief in their daughter’s ability and determination.
“We just had so much faith in Ariarne as an athlete,’” says Robyn, although she admits it was quite an adjustment moving from a 40-square home with an indoor pool on 7ha to an apartment overlooking the Brisbane River. “We’re really delighted that we had enough courage to do it and that we had so much support from friends and family.”
The move has obviously paid off in the pool, with Ariarne winning gold in the 400m and 800m freestyle events and the 4 x 200m relay, plus silver in the 200m freestyle. But it has also strengthened Robyn and Ariarne’s relationship.
Robyn, Ariarne and younger sister Mia, 15, moved to Brisbane first, with Steve following six months later. Ariarne says moving states, finding a new place to live, adjusting to new schools and jobs and living in a new city brought the three girls closer and gave her a new respect for her mother.
“Mum had to do everything ... she definitely did the heavy lifting for a bit,” Ariarne says.
Their schedules are still busy – Robyn works in recruitment while Ariarne leaves the house before dawn most days, and often doesn’t get home until after 8pm. She’s been completing Years 11 and 12 part time over three years at St Peters Lutheran College and is due to finish at the end of this year, with her eye firmly on university and the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
The women make an effort to snatch moments together where they can. They enjoy hanging out on the couch watching TV, shopping, cooking together and having brunch at their favourite cafes on Saturday mornings after Ariarne finishes training.
“I’m very blessed to have such a great relationship with the girls,” Robyn says.
“Certainly we’re mum and daughters and there’s a respect for that, but we also love each other’s company. The girls are very open with me and confide a lot in me. It’s good to share your troubles and get perspective on things.”
Robyn says although her “grounded, humble, quirky” daughter has a string of gleaming Commonwealth Games medals to her name, she’s still a typical teenager.
“She has an untidy bedroom and still wants to sit up on the couch and have a cuddle and a chat about the day,” Robyn says. “And it’s those basic things, that family time, that I absolutely cherish. I know what expectations Ariarne puts on herself. At the end of the day, if she’s smiling and happy, I’m happy.”