German marathon runner fights for mothers in sport

It is 6 a.m. and lights in small bungalows are starting to turn on in the small Kenyan town of Iten. Here, around 2,400 meters (7,900 feet) above sea level and 350 kilometers (220 miles) northwest of the capital Nairobi, athletes are getting ready to start their day at the place nicknamed that Home of Champions.

The high altitude training camp is where hundreds of running elite prepare for marathons and the Olympic Games.

German marathon runner Fabienne Königstein is one of them. Together with her husband and young daughter, Skadi, the 31-year-old has taken up residence in Iten for four weeks to get herself in shape for upcoming competitions — including the prestigious Boston Marathon in mid-April.

While Königstein laces up her running shoes, her husband Karsten quickly changes their daughter Skadi before they head off to the first training session of the day.

"It's wonderful to have the family here," Königstein told DW. "Above all, I enjoy that I can spend a lot of quality time with my daughter alongside training."

Not doable without the daughter

Königstein has often been to Kenya for training camps, but previously it has been with her team and, almost always, without her family. But since she became a mother in 2022, her life has changed.

"Skadi is only one and a half years old and I couldn't be here without my daughter," said the marathon runner, who takes it in turns with her husband Karsten to look after their child.

"At that age, the mother is still the most important caregiver," she added.

Königstein didn't really believe that she would be able to continue going to altitude training camps with her family, because the effort involved is so significant.

"I actually thought that I would have to train more often in the cold winter after giving birth and not at altitude," she said. "But now that Karsten has changed his career and we as a family have prioritized my sporting goals, we can be up here."

No financial support

Karsten Königstein has given up his permanent position as a paediatrician and sports physician at a university hospital to work as a self-employed doctor. This allows him to fully support his wife's career. Without his help, it would have been difficult for his wife to continue running professionally, as there is a lack of support for female athletes, like Königstein, who have become mothers or want to become mothers during their careers.

The family has to cover the cost of flights, hotel and food for Skadi and Karsten because there is no financial support from the federations," said Königstein. She wants to use her story to encourage other women and be a role model. She also wants national sports bodies or Olympic training centers do more for female athletes with children.

Unlike many female employees in "normal" working life, professional athletes with children have no support whatsoever, she says.

"It annoys me when I think about my pension provision, for example, where we are not supported. I'm not in the armed forces or police so I'm completely self-employed," Königstein said, referring to the fact that elite athletes in Germany often find employment in the police force, customs or armed services where they enjoy a government pension. 

"I have to arrange all my pension provision privately," said Königstein, who had no income during her pregnancy because she was unable to compete.

Children a tough choice for sportswomen

Königstein wants more from sporting associations. "This would allow them [sporting mothers] to plan better and give them the certainty that they will remain in the national squad and continue to receive assistance."

Despite being a molecular biology graduate, Königstein currently relies on her husband to help finance her career. "Once you've completed a master's degree, you'd like to be able to stand on your own two feet and earn your own money," said a frustrated Königstein.

But her husband is not only her financial backer, he also supports her in sport, having taken over his wife's training a few years ago. During the first training session, Karsten sits in the support vehicle with Skadi on his lap. While Skadi is distracted by giraffes and birds, Karsten gives his wife instructions.

This kind of support network isn't available to many in Fabienne’s line of work. "They don't have a reliable pillar to lean on if they want to start a family," she said.

'No one feels responsible'

Afterwards, Königstein joins a call with Germany Athletics Association as she fights for a policy change.

"Of course, 'motherhood in professional sport' is a building block that is very close to my heart," she said. "I think the urgency and importance of the topic is well known, but there is simply a lack of financial resources and responsibilities."

The big question is who to hold responsible: the German Olympic Sports Confederation (DOSB), as the umbrella organization of German sport? Or the individual sports associations? Or Germany's Olympic training centers? "Nobody really feels like they are responsible," Königstein said.

Nevertheless, there are athletes who have taken the plunge and continue to pursue their careers as athletes after having a child. These include steeplechaser Gesa Krause, footballers Melanie Leupolz and Almuth Schult and Königstein, who improved her personal best by almost seven minutes with a time of 2:25:48 at the marathon in Hamburg just nine months after Skadi's birth.

"I'm proud that I'm healthy and that I can juggle family and sport, which isn't always easy and I sometimes reach my limits," Königstein told DW.

This article was originally written in German.