Matilda Hodgkins-Byrne became the first mother to win a glorious bronze medal for the British Olympic rowing team.
Hodgkins-Byrne’s son Freddie, born in 2022, sat in the stands to watch his mother make it onto the podium in the women’s double event.
The 29-year-old made history by winning bronze alongside Rebecca Wilde.
“It’s quite surreal to be honest,” said Hodgkins-Byrne.
“I knew we could do it beforehand but knowing you can do it is very different to actually being able to do it.
“We`ve seen from other races here, like anything can happen.
“So, I said before, all I have to do is just stay in my boat. I can do that, then I could get the best out of us and that was what my aim was.”
Hodgkins-Byrne was followed by mum-of-three Helen Glover who won silver in the women’s four 15 minutes later.
Hodgkins-Byrne finished seventh at the Tokyo Olympics and continued to train throughout her pregnancy, doing an hour of light cardio every day.
The doubles competed together for the first time at the European Championships in May, but just missed out on a place in the A-final.
With a last chance, in the infamous “Regatta of Death” in Lucerne, they claimed 13th and final place at the Olympics.
After finishing second in their heat with a controlled performance, Wilde and Hodgkins-Byrne led for most of the semi-final and kept their medal hopes alive by moving into medal contention in second place.
In the final, they rowed like a team with nothing to lose, leading the field for the first 500 metres.
Despite being overtaken by Brooke Francis and Lucy Spoers of New Zealand, and by reigning Olympic champions Simona Radis and Ankuta Bodnar of Romania, who won gold and silver respectively, the British duo held off a Dutch attack to retain their medal position.
“Becky never knows where we are during the race, it’s only at the end,” said Hodgkins-Byrne.
“Even at the end of the race I said we’d got bronze, but she waited for the scoreboard! We just want to say thank you and thank you to everyone who plays the National Lottery, for all the funding and support that enables us to be here. We’re very grateful.”
It’s no surprise then that Frances and Spoors are the first mothers’ team to win gold at an Olympic Games, with three mothers on the podium in the same race in Vaires-sur-Marne.
“When we got selected in March, we were given a challenge that it was probably not possible to qualify,” said Hodgkins-Byrne.
“So, we were just determined to do that. And then secretly to ourselves, we were determined to try and get on the podium and that`s what we’ve done.”
Hodgkins-Byrne and Wild continue the great tradition of the British rowing team in the women’s doubles.”
Dame Katherine Grainger won gold in this event with Anna Watkins at London 2012 and silver with Vicky Thornley at Rio 2016. It is the fifth time in six Olympics that Great Britain has won a medal in this event.
Wilde is on her own comeback course after undergoing forearm surgery a few months ago that risked losing her place in the British rowing team.
“I just had the support of so many people behind me,” said Wilde.
“Mathilda has been such a great woman to have in the bow. I have learned so much and I just know if I do my job, push as hard as I can, she will get me over the line.”