Australian sevens gold medallist Nicole Beck is not only an unflappable character on the field but is able to hold things together remarkably well off it.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
About 30 seconds into a phone interview with Fairfax Media, Beck's three-month old daughter, Harper, starts crying.
"She's just having a fuss," Beck jokes. "I can't get her away any further from the phone."
The interview goes smoothly from there, even if the wailing of Beck's daughter continues in the background.
A little crying wasn't going to stop the Bulli talent from having a chat and she made sure the introduction of her little girl into the world wasn't going to put an end to her rugby career.
When Beck and her first daughter, Sophie, were pictured kissing her Olympic gold medal in Rio, little did they know Harper was on the way.
Not wanting to let a second pregnancy affect her training, Beck insisted she could go about her business as usual.
The Australian Rugby Union argued it had a duty of care to uphold, so Beck and the game's governing body came to an agreement she could train while pregnant but on lighter duties.
The 29-year-old did just that, right up until she was 39 weeks pregnant before having Harper on April 16.
Now, a little over three months on, Beck has returned to training with the Australian sevens squad at their base in Narrabeen, adamant there are plenty more highlights to come in an already decorated rugby career.
"I was hoping to return by the three-month mark but it just depended on the labour and recovery after and how the body felt," Beck said. "I love playing and I love playing sport and there's only a limited time frame in your life where you can do it.
"I've only got a few more years where I can physically be able to hold up to the demands but at the same time I don't want to put off having a family. I'm trying to make them both work."
After getting approval from a women's health physio, Beck was welcomed back into to the sevens family with open arms.
She is part of the rehab group and hopes to build up her workload "without any hiccups along the way", but concedes she isn't ready for full contact sessions just yet.
The ARU has also built a breastfeeding room for Beck on site to ensure she has a place to feed Harper.
"It's very unchartered territory," Beck said. "We're learning together and doing it together and trying to make it work.
"If other people want to have kids and keep training, it's now a reality."
Beck is the only current squad member with children and says she hasn't ruled out trying for another one in the future.
Until then, she will be eyeing off a spot in Australia's Commonwealth Games squad next year.
"That was my main goal when I was pregnant," Beck said. "Returning to training around the three months is like a tick in the first box. If it all goes relatively smoothly, hopefully I'll be in a position to get my fitness and strength back and get enough game time under my belt and hopefully be in the running for selection at the Commonwealth Games."
Beck hopes her desire to not let pregnancy affect her rugby dream is a lesson for her teammates and other female athletes.
"I love the kids coming to training and seeing there's strong, fit women doing what they love and seeing there's no boundaries to what you can do," Beck said.
