Pregnancy no longer considered an 'injury' in Canadian sports as funding improved for expecting athletes

After a remarkable year for women in sport, moms and mom-to-be athletes in Canada can head into the new year confident that pregnancy will no longer lead to financial drawbacks. 

On Oct. 11, 2024, the Canadian government announced that it will fund additional cards for pregnant athletes, ensuring financial support during and after giving birth. 

Carded athletes are those who are approved for financial assistance through the Sport Canada's Athlete Assistance Program (AAP). 

Prior to this new funding, expecting athletes would have two options: declare their one and only injury card to receive funding during pregnancy or, save their injury card and lose out financially while sidelined from pregnancy. 

Jill Moffatt, two-time Olympic rower and founder of MOMentum, an online platform which houses women's health resources, says the funding is a massive step forward for gender equity. 

"If you're having a kid and returning to elite sport after, you'll actually have a specific provision for that, which most people would call a maternity leave or paternity policy in any normal workplace," Moffatt said.

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CBC Sports Explains: Pregnancy in Canadian sport

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Until recently, pregnancy was treated as an injury under Canadian sport law. But with recent changes to the Athlete Assistance Program, that's no longer the case.

She adds that this support normalizes the decision to have children as a competitive athlete, and will benefit both mom and dad athletes. 

"A lot of athletes fear discrimination for wanting to have a child and come back [to sport], some face that," Moffatt said. "So having something like this in place definitely allows athletes to know that this is a normal thing to pursue if they want, it's well within their rights."

Carla Qualtrough, Canada's Minister of Sport, said the funding will give the country's high-performance athletes the tools they need to succeed on the world stage. 

"This means eligible athletes who want to grow their families can count on continued financial support during and after pregnancy," she said. 

The federal government is investing $35 million into the AAP over five years and increasing the living and training allowances for carded athletes by 23 per cent.