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Bonnie Blair
By Teri Brown
Each month, iParenting.com spotlights a mother who inspires and moves us, who embodies the qualities that we all admire in a person, a woman and a mother. Above all, the Mom of the Month is dedicated to her children. Rich or poor, famous or not, she shines as an example of what mothering is all about.
Meet July's Mom of the Month, Bonnie Blair, the most decorated woman in U.S. Olympic history. Becoming the mother of two changes everything, says Blair, who adds she wouldn't trade it for the world.
Blair has won more medals than any other American in Winter Olympics history. She has smashed world speed skating records and was Sports Illustrated's 1994 Sportsperson of the Year. But to her children, 6-year-old Grant and 4-year old Blair, she's just "Mom," and that is the way that Bonnie Blair likes it.
"I retired from skating to do other things, like have a family," says 40-year-old Blair. "I love being a mother. Being there to share in those first-time events, being able to make their hurts go away, all those precious little moments that come with being a mom."
Motherhood obviously agrees with Blair, as does her marriage to retired speed skater Dave Cruikshank. She has forged a nice balance between motherhood and her desire to remain active in her sport. She does occasional commentator work for speed skating events and is on the board of directors for both the U.S. Speed Skating Association and The Pettit National Ice Center in Milwaukee, Wis.
"I feel like I get the best of both worlds," Blair says. "I get to pick and choose my work, which allows me the time just to stay home and be Mom."
Her latest project is one that touches Blair very personally. She is the spokeswoman for the coast-to-coast initiative "Millions of Women. One Secret. Let's Talk!", a campaign designed to bring awareness and dialog to a condition millions of women have, yet few talk about: stress urinary incontinence (SUI).
SUI is the accidental leakage of urine due to physical activities such as sneezing, coughing, laughing, lifting or exercising. Not to be confused with an overactive bladder, which makes people feel as if they always have an urgent need to void, SUI only occurs during a physical activity. It affects women of all ages, yet is rarely talked about and often causes acute embarrassment for those who suffer from it. Blair was one of those women.
"I was very embarrassed by it," Blair says. "I have suffered from it since the birth of my last child four years ago, but it took me a long time to bring it up to my doctor. Once, while I was out running, I decided that this couldn't be the norm and I would have to do something about it. That is when I started asking questions."
The primary causes of SUI are nerve damage, muscle damage or weakness and damage to the support of the bladder and urethra. Risk factors include childbirth, chronic coughing, obesity and constipation.
Blair tried many different treatments for the problem and finally ended up having surgery to correct it. Treatments include pelvic muscle exercises, devices and surgery.
Of course, being the spokesperson for this initiative, Blair had to go public with her problem, which after some thought, she decided she was ready to do.
"They were looking for someone to bridge the gap between the problem and the public," Blair says. "Someone people could identify with. The more I learned about SUI, the more I realized that they were talking about me. I had been there; I had gone through it."
Blair felt it was important for her to go public to help other women realize that they were not alone. She wanted other women to know SUI is a real medical condition, and there is treatment for it.
"I don't want other women to feel ashamed of this condition," Blair says. "I want women suffering with SUI to know that they do not have to do so in silence, that the best thing they can do is arm themselves with the facts and talk about it with their healthcare professional."
Blair is starring in two different public service announcements for the campaign, one with her daughter, who loved the experience. "She was in the 60-second commercial with me," Blair says. "She wanted to watch it over and over again!"
Both of Blair's children have been on skates, although hockey – not speed skating – is currently her son's passion.
"My little guy is pretty tough," Blair says. "My daughter just wants to do whatever her brother does!"
This year, Blair will be inducted into the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame. "It's an incredible honor," Blair says. "What makes it extra special to me is that I am being inducted alongside speed skater Dan Jansen, who was not only one of my best skating friends, but a dear friend off the ice as well."
Olympian, record breaker, commentator and mom, Bonnie Blair lives her life with as much passion and determination as she skated. Now it is her goal to help as many women as possible who suffer from SUI. With her record, she is sure to be a success.
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