Spirig is the mother of Swiss sport: “Motherhood also has physical benefits”

Blick: First of all, the most important question: how are you?
Spirig: Thank you, I’m happy to be here today (at the Super10kampf, editor). It is super cool to be there as a coach and to fight for victory with Team Geel. But above all, I hope that a lot of money will be raised for Swiss Sports Aid.

It’s a huge background. Do you already feel a tingling sensation in you?
Yes absolutely. I’m happy. Now the focus is on tactics, how the matches go, how we want to do it. The atmosphere comes when the audience is here.

Belinda Bencic announced her pregnancy on Friday morning. There is hardly anyone who knows as much about pregnancy and top sports as she does. First, how did they receive the news? And on the other hand, what does it mean to return from such a break?
I was extremely happy for Belinda, I congratulate her, it’s great news. I had the privilege of combining it with top sport. Tennis was also a role model for me as a sport because they had good solutions early on on how I could come back. The ranking is maintained for two to three years. And so you can start working with it again after the birth of a child. I think that’s very positive. The possibilities are there. But it is different for every athlete. It depends if she even wants it. What kind of setup does she have? How does she want to live her life? That is up to each individual. Either way, becoming a mother will be a wonderful experience.

There are studies that even show that you can come back stronger after pregnancy. How do you see that? How did they each feel? Their success definitely proved them right.
There are many puzzle pieces. And returns are certainly not easy. You may have some physical advantages, but that’s why you have a child at home. Priorities change. Family comes first. Sports are no longer the priority. Organizationally it is certainly not always easy. The question also arises whether you actually want to travel from competition to competition all the time. There are so many aspects, so you can’t generalize. Everyone has to look at this for themselves with the people around them. You are no longer alone, you have a family with an opinion that counts. Therefore, it is impossible to answer this question, but as I said before: I have always seen it as a privilege to combine the two. And I think many – at least in tennis – have already shown that it is possible. We’ll see if she wants to go this route.

Did you take anything special away from your experience? What have you learned from this?
Yes. I think there are a lot of things you can’t foresee and you just have to do. Every child, every pregnancy, every birth is different. What always seemed exciting to me was that in addition to the problems, it also has physical benefits. And on the other hand, the perspective changes – which can also be an advantage. In the past, if a workout didn’t go well, I could spend too much time on it. After I had a child, I didn’t have time for it anymore. As soon as I got home, the kids were there and I didn’t think about it anymore.

Finally: Do you have any tips for Belinda Bencic, from a sporting perspective?
(thinks) I wish her all the best, I’m very happy for her. It’s nice if you take it step by step, remain flexible and adapt to the baby’s schedule. Like I said, I considered it a privilege and I hope she finds the path that’s right for her.