Irish Daily Star - Inside Sport
KERR KNOWS BEING A MOM IS NO BARRIER
The contractions kicked in minutes after she crossed the finish line and, within a few hours, American athlete Amber Miller gave birth.
Her miraculous 2011 Chicago Marathon tale is an example of what can be achieved even in the most extreme circumstances.
Many other athletes have accomplished the impossible on the other side of pregnancy, too.
Serena Williams, Paula Radcliffe, Jessica EnnisHill and Laura Kenny have all made history in the weeks and months after giving birth.
Closer to home, Sonia O’Sullivan won an Olympic silver medal just over a year after giving birth for the first time.
Two fellow Cork greats, Bríd Stack and Briege Corkery, are among the list, too, with many more mothers gracing the playing fields week in, week out across the country.
Dream
Today, Niamh Kerr will look to fulfil a lifelong dream when she lines out for St Judes in the currentaccount.ie AllIreland junior club final.
The 34-year-old gave birth to son Ben two years ago and believed she would never play football again, but the Monaghan native trained hard to get back in action and knows she made the right choice.
“When I got pregnant, I was 31 and I was thinking to myself that is probably it for me now, I will be too busy with a baby. I decided that I wasn’t going to go back,” said Kerr. “I had Ben in February 2020 and then the pandemic hit then.”
Kerr, who hails from Ballybay, grew up in a Gaelic Games-mad household.
Dad Paddy Kerr was a star for Monaghan who won provincial honours and captained UCD to glory, too.
Niamh played her club football with St Brigid’s in Monaghan before she relocated to Dublin and ended up with St Judes in early 2017, after a lengthy lay-off.
She was part of the Farney set-up at minor level before also making the senior squad.
However, her job as a radiation therapist meant long hours.
Having also lived in Dublin and Galway, she was never able to give enough time to the cause back home.
Unsure
Today, she lines out against Mullinahone in the junior decider in Baltinglass as St Judes look to win a first-ever All-Ireland title.
She explained: “It was Richard (her partner) who encouraged me to go back. At first, I was a bit unsure and... I only returned halfway through the season (last year). I had Ben at the start of the season.
“So I said I would give it another full year. God, I am so glad I did now. We are in an All-Ireland final. It’s incredible.
“I’m so glad I decided to go back.”
Kerr began with 5k’s and doing her own S&C training five weeks after
Ben was born in February 2020.
Four months after he arrived on the scene, she was back playing football again, and she couldn’t be happier now.
She wants other mothers to know that their careers aren’t over when they have a child.
“I never thought at 34 that I would be playing in an All-Ireland final,” said Kerr. “It would be incredible if we did it.
“I’ll admit it, it’s hard, much harder when you have a child, but I’m glad I didn’t decide to stop two years ago.”