Live from Paris, Olympian Nada Hafez has revealed she is seven months pregnant.
Hafez, 26, took to social media on Tuesday, July 30, to announce that she’s expecting her first child with husband Ibrahim Ihab.
“What appears to you as two players on the podium, they were actually three! It was me, my competitor, & my yet-to-come to our world, little baby!” the professional fencer wrote via Instagram alongside a photo of her after competing in the women’s saber individual competition.
Hafez noted that she has faced obstacles during her pregnancy, adding, “My baby & I had our fair share of challenges, be it both physical & emotional. The rollercoaster of pregnancy is tough on its own, but having to fight to keep the balance of life & sports was nothing short of strenuous, however worth it.”
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While addressing the accomplishment, Hafez publicly thanked her husband for his support.
“I’m writing this post to say that pride fills my being for securing my place in the round of 16!” she continued. “I’m lucky to have shared the trust of my husband @ibrahimihab11 and that of my family to be able to come this far.”
Hafez concluded: “This specific Olympics was different; Three times *Olympian* but this time carrying a little Olympian one! 
”
During the ongoing Olympics, Hafez beat USA’s Elizabeth Tartakovsky to make it to the top 16 before being defeated by South Korea’s Jeon Hayoung. Hafez previously competed in the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics where she placed 36th and 2020 Tokyo Olympics where she ended in 29th place.
Hafez has also managed to find time to attend — and graduate from medical school.
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“A major chapter of my life came to an end. Mixed in my feelings, I can’t pinpoint a single feeling that’s taking over me now more than gratitude,” she wrote via Instagram in January 2022. “I’m grateful for the day God chose me to take on this tremendous journey, a journey of 7 lengthy years, a life-long journey, I’d say. I’m grateful for the strength I was given to complete them, and not only was it a journey of mental exhaustion, but also of physical strain; I’m grateful I was able to lead a medical life alongside my athletic career.”
Hafez added: “I’m grateful that throughout those seven years, I was beyond honored and blessed to represent my country twice in the Olympics, and yet come back at the end of the day to all the books and lectures piled up for me, waiting for me to cram and study. I’m grateful that I outdid myself and went far beyond my capacity; it wasn’t the slightest easy. … Yesterday, a major chapter of my life came to an end. Tomorrow, I start a new chapter. Let’s see what life has to offer next.”
