NEED TO KNOWRugby star Millie Elliott returned to the field just seven months after giving birth to her first child with husband Adam
She compared returning to her sport after giving birth to "overcoming a significant injury" in a recent interview
Elliott said her "priorities have to shift" as she juggles being an athlete and becoming a new mom
Rugby player Millie Elliott opened up about returning to the pitch seven months after giving birth to her first child, calling it "no easy task" for her body.
In an interview with ABC Sport Daily released on Tuesday, April 28, the 27-year-old rugby star —who welcomed her daughter Gigi on Oct. 8 with husband Adam Elliott — said returning to sport after giving birth was "like overcoming a significant injury."
"I knew that I had my work cut out for me," Elliott said, calling getting back into rugby shape "definitely no easy task, that's for sure."
Elliott said she's grateful to the people who helped support her through postpartum.
"There's a lot of prehab and exercises and rehab and physios that you have to see, and I'm lucky enough that I've had that support and I've been able to get back to here and I'm feeling really fit and confident," she told ABC Sport.
"There was definitely some early days, postpartum, where you think, how the hell am I [going to do that again]?" Elliott continued to the outlet, adding, "As a part-time athlete for us as rugby league players and as women, you've got to juggle a lot of things on the side anyway."
Elliott also spoke about how becoming a mom has taught her that her "priorities have to shift" as an athlete. "You have to be quite selfish to be an athlete and you have to spend a lot of time away from your family, whether that's training, late nights, physios, rehab," she said, adding, "There's so much that goes into that."
Ultimately, Elliott said being an athlete is "part of who I am" and shared her excitement for having her daughter attend a game.
"I've been thinking about, as athletes, we think about our sport every day and that's been something that I've been carrying with me," she told ABC Sport.
"This is a big reason to want to get out there on Thursday. The girls have won the shield last year. It's not going to be an easy feat. [The Blues] Haven't won in Newcastle yet and I've got my little Gigi girl in the stands watching."