Working mom Kim Clijsters won the U.S. Open women's title last night in a victory that surprised even her. Clijsters had returned to tennis one month earlier just to get back into the rhythm, after two years away from the game to start a family. She certainly didn't expect to be "the first mother to win a Grand Slam title since Evonne Goolagong Cawley won Wimbledon in 1980," as the New York Times put it.
What a triumph for working moms, and how far we have come that the United States Tennis Association gave a wild card to a woman with a toddler daughter. I'm guessing this will inspire more young female athletes to pursue their dreams in the sports arena without giving up on building a family as well.
Did you watch last night? It's a great moment to share with your children.
Photo credit: Nick Laham/Getty Images
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Katherine,
So glad you wrote about this HUGE victory for working moms. As co-founder of MyWorkButterfly, the most comprehensive social network to help moms return to work and those working moms trying to do it all, along with the fact that the last mom to have achieved this goal was Evonne Goolagong in 1980 (right after I had the pleasure of playing against her some 6 years prior), I am so thrilled for Kim Clijsters. It just goes to show that anything is possible. We can have it all!
Ooh, I LOVE hearing about working moms doing great things like this. It’s so inspiring! When I’m dead tired and juggling way too many things at once, I feel better knowing that other moms are working hard too!
Kim’s victory was superb, but has absolutely nothing to do with her being a mother. She has a toddler daughter – so what? Being at the top of her game before she got pregnant. Famous and financially secure to boot, with a flexible job, it isn’t exactly difficult to combine that with having one child. That child being a toddler, it’s even easier because there are no school terms to stick to. So by all means congratulate Kim, but don’t for goodness sake glorify her specifically because she has a child.