Three months after giving birth to her first child, Amit Elor returned to the wrestling mat and qualified for the US World Team Trials in the 159-pound (72 kg) senior women’s freestyle division.
Speaking after her victory, Elor reflected on what it meant to step back onto the mat with her son watching from the stands.
“My first competition back with my son watching me in the stands, just doesn’t feel real. I’m extremely happy to be here,” she said. “Win or lose, I was just happy to be here. Just coming and competing to me was an accomplishment.”
Elor admitted the decision to compete came together only in the final weeks leading up to the tournament.
“Up until 3 weeks ago I didn’t even know if I was going to compete,” she said. “It’s really crazy how quickly week by week I saw a huge difference in my performance and my recovery, my strength, everything.”
With two weeks to go, she made up her mind.
“I was like, you know what, I’m not backing out now. I’m doing this. I got to thank my past self for doing that because I felt great out there.”
For Elor, motherhood has reshaped more than just her perspective on competition.
“I am a completely different person, day and night,” she said. “Becoming a mom, becoming a parent changes you in the most amazing way. I feel like I’m smarter and more mature, but at the same time I see life in a different way and I value the little moments.”
“I value family. Wrestling is amazing, but nothing is more important than your family and the people that you love.”
That shift in mindset has also improved the way she approaches training.
“I think I’m a lot more mature and I’m a lot smarter. Before I had the tendency to overtrain, let my emotions control me, and now I think I’m a little bit more calm and I’m able to handle stress better,” she explained.
“Of course, when you have a newborn baby that’s crying day and night, you got to adapt and learn how to handle stress and handle functioning on very little sleep. It changes you completely as a person and it makes you stronger. I truly believe that mom strength is a real thing.”
With multiple world titles and Olympic success already to her name, Elor’s motivation to compete has taken on a deeper meaning.
“I want to challenge myself. I want to be an inspiration and a good role model for my son and for all the kids out there,” she said. “Most of all I want to prove just how strong women are and that no one can tell us what we can or can’t do. If you have a baby, you can come back if you want to come back. And I’m proving that.”
