This week our feature mother is Amy Walsh. Amy is a former midfielder for the Canadian National soccer team and qualified to be in the 2008 Olympics! She was inducted into the Canadian Soccer Hall of Fame in May 2017! Amy now teaches yoga and movement and is a personal trainer. She is a mother of three(one set of twins) and one very busy lady! I am so in awe of the mindset of an athlete, the dedication and the discipline is absolutely mind blowing!
It is an honor to feature Amy on Mothers with Many. You can follow Amy on @anywalshyoga on Instagram and Amy Walsh Yoga On FB.
Thanks Amy for sharing your story with us!
1) How many children do you have, name and ages ?
I have three lovely children: Jack, 10; and twins Campbell, and Eve, 5.
2) What is your current occupation?
I am a yoga and movement teacher as well as a personal trainer. I work primarily with athletes and love teaching people of all ages how to have fun moving their bodies.
3) What are the challenges of balancing work and parenting?
Now that my twins are in kindergarten, I have more time and freedom to work which is terrific. However, while I am lucky to have the flexibility to be home most days when they return from school, I find that the few hours after school and pre-bed can be extremely challenging. Everyone is tired, hungry and irritable-including me! As long as we don’t have to rush off to evening activities, I find getting outside for fresh air and a bit of movement is the best and helps to keep me sane.
4) What is your life philosophy?
I’m not sure I have one, but every day before school, I tell my kids to “be kind and do your best”. I think if I try and live my life that way, too, I’m probably on the right track.
5) What is a piece of advice you would give other mothers and what is one thing you wish you had known before having children?
Advice: Keep it simple and do what’s best for you and your family.
One thing I wish I had known: I really wish I would’ve listened to the people who told me to sleep more! I’ve since figured out that I can function quite well on very little sleep, but boy do I miss a long, uninterrupted slumber.
6) What is your greatest achievement apart from your child/children so far?
My greatest achievement was becoming an Olympian. After a 10 year professional soccer career almost ended prematurely due to injury, I underwent surgery, painful rehab and trained my butt off in order to be selected onto the Canadian Olympic roster for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.
(Hats off to you Amy, what an incredible accomplishment!)
7) What have you done that you thought you could never do?
My goodness…reclaim some semblance of regular sleep after being severely sleep deprived when the twins were babies!
(Ah yes, sleep the elixer of life and we greatly appreciate it especially after having multiples:)
Also, I never would’ve thought myself capable of breastfeeding all of my kids for as long as I did (all three nursed until around 3.5) but it was one of the best things ever-for all of us.
8) What books do you /did you like reading to your children?
Right now my oldest is hooked on the Screech Owls books by Roy MacGregor, and the twins love Mo Willems “Elephant and Piggie”. Richard Scarry’s “Cars and Trucks and Things that Go!” has been a constant since they were very little-they never tire of looking for Gold Bug.
I always encourage reading and love that you read to your kids.We loved Richard Scarry’s books, still do!! I hope that you and your kids will enjoy reading my book, Three Times the Fun!
