In an exclusive interview and photoshoot with HELLO! magazine, Paralympic dressage champion Natasha Baker has announced she is pregnant with her first child with husband Marc Jaconelli.
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"This is going to be our first Christmas as Mr and Mrs, but our last as just the two of us! It’s something we always wanted and planned for, but it's happened quicker than we ever expected," said Natasha, who married business owner Marc in March.
Hot on the heels of Natasha’s victory in the Tokyo Games in summer 2021, when she won a team gold and two individual silvers, the couple tied the knot in a magical wedding last March and honeymooned in the Maldives before she brought home two more medals from the equestrian Herning World Championships in Denmark.
They found out they were to become parents a few days later. "We were both in complete shock," said Natasha. "Never in a million years did I think it would happen as quickly as it has. We are so lucky. It's a blessing – and it works out perfectly timing-wise for Paris," added Natasha, who is hoping to compete at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games.
In the interview, Natasha spoke about the new challenges that come with being a parent with a disability – and she and Marc hope to use their experience to help others.
"There's a lot more to think about than for your average new parents. I'm going to be able to be hold the baby, but I'm not going to be able to walk and carry them, so we'll need to find ways around that," explained Natasha, who contracted the rare inflammatory disease transverse myelitis as a baby, which left her able to walk short distances with the use of sticks, but also needing a mobility scooter or wheelchair to get around.
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She added: "I'd like to use social media to take people on the journey with us. If we can help future parents in our situation, that would be great."
"Natasha will be an amazing mum to the little one," said Marc. "She's so strong-willed to want to do everything herself and not rely on other people, and I'll always be there to help make it easier for her to do everything on her own."
Of balancing an elite training schedule with motherhood, Natasha told HELLO!: "It's about adapting. The baby is going to be coming to competitions with me so they’ll need to get used to being outside, around horses and staying in a horse box."
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