Overview

• Elena Semechin, a two-time Paralympic gold medalist, has lost one sponsor and had another pause funding after announcing her pregnancy.
• The 31-year-old swimmer is expecting her first child with her husband Philipp and is currently in her fourth month of pregnancy.
• Semechin has overcome significant health challenges, including a brain tumor diagnosis in 2021 and progressive vision loss from Stargardt disease.
• She plans to return to elite competition after giving birth, setting her sights on the 2028 Los Angeles Paralympics as a mother.
• Semechin has called for greater financial and childcare support for athlete-mothers, highlighting gaps in resources for women in sports.