For Janina Hettich-Walz, the 2025/2026 season is a very special one: after her maternity leave, she is back in the World Cup and mastering her role as a mother and competitive athlete. How does she manage to balance both sides and what was her journey back to the national team like?

Janina Hettich-Walz beams when she talks about her daughter. Little Karlotta was born in February 2025. One year later, Hettich-Walz is back among the world's top biathletes. With sixth place in the sprint in Oberhof, she achieved her best result of the season so far and met the Olympic qualification. ‘I made a conscious decision to become a mother, but my goal was also to continue being a competitive athlete and to participate in the Winter Olympics,’ says the 29-year-old.

Flexibility and time management are essential

Her child is easy-going, which makes it easier for her to balance sport and parenting. Nevertheless, Hettich-Walz needs good time management and flexibility in her everyday life. ‘I have to replan every week; a long-term training routine is hardly possible.’ She now trains more often at the weekend or in the evening when her husband is at home and can look after Karlotta, or when the grandparents are on hand. ‘Without our family, it wouldn't be possible to combine the two. I am very grateful for their support.’

The pram is not allowed in the stadium

Her top priority now is to organize childcare; only then will she think about her training programe. But the biathlete also sees this as an opportunity. ‘My perspective has changed. I know that there are more important things than sport. My daughter comes first.’ Nevertheless, she finds it difficult every time she doesn't see her child for a few days. ‘I was apprehensive about being separated from her, especially when she's still so young. But that's part of it and I knew it would happen.’ Her husband and daughter accompany her to some races, and Janina Hettich-Walz stays with her family in accommodation that she has to organize and pay for herself. This can present a few challenges. ‘In Hochfilzen, prams weren't allowed in the stadium. You don't think about things like that until the problem arises. Fortunately, my husband was able to work with the volunteers to find a solution so that they could watch the race in the stadium.’

Role model for young women

As Hettich-Walz is the first mother in the German national biathlon team to have a child during her active career, the circumstances were also new for the German Ski Association. ‘I received a lot of support from the association. This enabled me to take part in training courses, which made my comeback much easier.’ At the German Championships in September, it was already clear that she was on the right track, as she won the individual and sprint events. ‘I didn't expect to be back in such good shape so quickly.’

She did not exchange ideas with mothers from other teams. ‘I felt that it would put me under pressure. Baiba Bendika, for example, came back competing in the World Cup two months after giving birth. I couldn't have imagined doing that. I'm going my own way at my own pace.’ This makes Janina Hettich-Walz a role model for other young women who are balancing work and family life. ‘I've received so much feedback with lovely messages, which really surprised me.’

Photos: IBU