Olympic champion Jana Pittman shares a vulnerable post-partum body image message
"This body used to be ripped and lean, racing for Aus against the worlds best."
Jana Pittman is a person who knows how to work hard. She’s the beloved star of SAS Australia, an Olympic champion, a medical doctor, an egg donor and a mum of six – a list of accomplishments that would make the best of us exhausted.
Getting vulnerable in an Instagram post on Tuesday morning, the 36yo has proven that just like many mums, she’s finding herself at the bottom of the pile when it comes to allocating time for self care. Despite this, the megastar remains grateful for the body that has taken her “through so much”, sharing an incredible post-partum body image post that so many of us can relate to.
“Fast forward 16 years, 6 kids later and this is where I am at.”
Sharing a series of images of herself with her post-partum tummy exposed, the Olympic superstar explained that she was sharing a “Long post.. close to my heart ❤️”
Jana wrote: “I wanted to share these photos because they speak volumes to me. This body used to be ripped and lean, racing for Aus against the worlds best.
“Fast forward 16 years, 6 kids later and this is where I am at. Yes this is the heaviest I have ever been, yes my body wears the beautiful scars of motherhood, especially the stretched skin from the twins at 39yrs old but I am also heavy due to being so time poor!!”
Jana, who openly shares her life at home with her family, confessed that while many of her posts show a “tough and crazy woman managing so many different facets of life” the reality is that the choices she needs to make day-to-day when caring for her family and career, leave very little time for herself.
“The last 12 months have been an emotional and stressful journey on several fronts which resulted in comfort eating here and there… so I am now the same weight as when I was heavily pregnant!” admitted Jana.
“I have had to make choices with my time and there has been very little left for me.”
“I am so grateful for this body”
The mum-of-six went on to explain that while she was “not exactly comfortable” she was still able to find gratitude for the incredible blessings her body has given her.
“I am so grateful for this body. It has bravely taken me through so much and even though I don’t always honour it, it honours me.”
She concluded with: “Beauty comes in all shapes and sizes,” encouraging her fans to “love the skin you are in 🥰”
More on Jana Pittman’s incredible journey to motherhood
In March 2022, Jana Pittman added twin-mum to her long, long list of accomplishments when she welcomed boy-girl twins, Quinlan and Willow to her brood at just 35 weeks gestation.
The darling duo, whom she shares with husband, Paul Gatward were born on Tuesday March 22, 2022, bringing her cute kid count to six!
Jana had her first child, 16yo Cornelis with former English athlete Chris Rawlinson, whom she married in 2006.
Cornelis was an only child for some nine years before Jana was diagnosed with CIN3 – abnormal cells in her cervix, which can become cancerous. She ended up having part of her cervix removed as a result.
The diagnosis led her to pursue the decision to have more children via sperm donor, in case she lost her ability to have more babies in the future.
“All of a sudden I was there, a single mum already, and thought, ‘Why not look at the options of having children on my own’,” Jana said.
Jana took her son to look at donors, and they picked one with a strong resemblance to themselves, so that the family would all look similar.
Via the sperm donor, Jana gave birth to 7yo Emily, and then her second daughter, 6yo Jemima a little later.
Emily and Jemima are full-blood siblings, and Jana confirmed that further down the track the girls will be given the opportunity to meet the sperm donor and get to know him.
Baby number four, 2yo Charlie, was born to Jana and her second husband, Paul Gatward.
We can’t wait to see where life takes this incredible superstar and role model next.
