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Paola Egonu Named GQ Italia Athlete of the Year, Weighs Motherhood vs. Career

Her GQ Italia remarks highlight the solitude of elite sport alongside the career risks of motherhood.

Overview

  • GQ Italia named the Olympic gold medalist and 2025 world champion its Athlete of the Year in a newly published profile.
  • Egonu describes the daily isolation of training and competition, saying athletes must react quickly to problems without time to stop or grieve.
  • She says the desire to become a mother conflicts with an elite career because pregnancy changes the body and recovery is uncertain, contrasting this with how fathers can return immediately.
  • She has set a personal deadline for deciding on children and says she wants the courage to retire at the right moment, though no decisions are made.
  • She adds that trust from teammates and a driven, near-obsessive mindset fuel her edge, crediting coach Julio Velasco with helping her accept mistakes.