Shot putter Tom Walsh announces baby joy

Tom and wife Dana are excitedly preparing to welcome their first child, due in October. Photo / Woman’s Day
After a disappointing Olympics, the shot put champ reveals he and his wife Dana are expecting.
After four years pouring everything into his training and preparation for the Olympic Games in Paris, champion Kiwi shot putter Tom Walsh’s dreams were shattered when he suffered a crippling groin injury during his second throw at Stade de France.
Although he bravely pushed through the pain to step up for a third throw, Tom, 32, knew when the shot left his hand that he wouldn’t be able to continue.
It was a devasting blow that got even worse when medical tests revealed a severe grade-three adductor tear, which ended not only his Olympic campaign, but the rest of his season as well.
However, as Tom exclusively tells Woman’s Day, there’s a silver lining to his early return to New Zealand for recovery and rehabilitation – he and wife Dana, 30, are excitedly preparing to welcome their first child, who is due in October.
“It took me a while to get over being grumpy about the Olympics,” he admits.
“But once I came back down to earth and accepted it, I realised it’s a good thing in a way as it’s given me time I wouldn’t have otherwise had to spend with Dana prior to the baby’s arrival.”
Originally, Tom had planned to return to Aotearoa in mid-September, about a month before the baby’s due date, so if the birth happened early, it would’ve been “pretty hard to catch up from the other side of the world”.
Now with his rehab schedule keeping him close to home in Christchurch, his presence is guaranteed.
Despite the mixed emotions surrounding the games, the couple is now focused entirely on the upcoming arrival.
“We’re really excited,” Dana smiles. “It’s been great to have Tom home to help set up the nursery and do all the things I can’t do.”
It was back in February, when Tom was halfway through a six-week stint competing overseas that the pair got the life-changing news they were going to become parents.
Dana says her pregnancy has been relatively smooth, though the first trimester was tough.
“I felt a bit rubbish at the beginning, but compared to some people, I can’t really complain,” she shares. “I’ve definitely turned a corner, although some things are getting harder – like doing up my shoes and putting on socks!”
With overseas competitions and Olympic prep, Tom was only home for about six weeks of Dana’s pregnancy before Paris. However, the longtime couple is used to lengthy separations and Dana was able to spend some time in the United States with Tom over the Northern Hemisphere summer.
Both were disappointed Dana was unable to go to France due to the advanced stage of her pregnancy and difficulty getting travel insurance.
“We weighed things up and it just didn’t make sense,” she explains. “Tom’s family was there to support him, but it was still hard not to be in the stands myself.”
Tom’s time spent competing overseas meant he missed a lot of the changes Dana had experienced during her pregnancy, but impending fatherhood has become much more real to him recently.
“I was feeling pretty nervous, but now I can’t wait to meet our baby and see what they are like,” he enthuses.
Dana expects it to be a “huge adjustment” becoming parents, but she insists they’re ready.
“We’ve started antenatal classes, which have helped a lot, and have heaps of support from our family and friends, many who already have young children or are having babies around the same time.”
As Tom continues his rehab and prepares for the next chapter of his athletic career, the pair are taking it one day at a time as they figure out how to juggle parenthood with Tom’s busy schedule, which kicks off with the World Indoor Champs in China in March.
“I have no idea how we’re going to do it,” Tom says. “We just need to be in it and figure it out as we go. We’ll probably have to rely on our village a bit more than we do now, especially when I’m away at competitions.”
Another question on their minds is how their much-loved dog Rippa will adjust to his new role as “big brother”.
Dana laughs. “Rippa has been our baby up until now. He’s a gentle dog, especially with kids, but he has a thing for soft toys, so that might be an issue. I think he’ll be a bit put out at first, but once the baby starts eating solids, he’ll be thrilled to be the clean-up crew!”
After spending lots of time with their nieces and nephews, Dana can’t wait to view the world through their own child’s eyes.
“I’m excited to see the little things that bring them joy and also to see Tom as a dad. He has so many great qualities he can share with them and teach them.”