I have better things to do than worry about trolls'

Olympian Sam Quek on remembering to celebrate life's positives amid the mum guilt and online abuse

- OLIVIA BUXTON

Presenter Sam Quek MBE has been a world-class athlete and has seen her TV career go from strength to strength. But she still has a problem: the mum guilt caused by needing to leave her two young children at home. The former Olympic hockey champion and European gold medallist went back to work eight weeks after the birth of her second child, Zac, now 18 months, just a year after she and her husband, Tom Mairs, had welcomed their daughter Molly.

Today the 35-year-old candidly confesses that family life has been a struggle, despite the support of property entrepreneur Tom, and with both sets of grandparents on hand to help out.

“I’ve had a massively busy three weeks, and my guilt levels have been probably the highest this month,” the sports presenter tells OK! “I have my book out (Roar: A Celebration Of Great Sporting Women) and other things happening and so underneath there is definitely that mum guilt.

“I went away at the weekend recently. I was in Brighton playing hockey on Saturday and in London on Sunday. I put the kids to bed on the Friday and then woke them up on the Monday. But before I left – I don’t know why I did it – I felt like I couldn’t leave the house until the kitchen was spotless, their clothes were washed and clean and the fridge was full.

“My husband said to me, ‘I can go to the supermarket and I can put their clothes out’. But for me, I feel better doing it and it’s probably for myself even though my husband’s completely capable. And you know, nothing would happen to the kids if they went out in a non-matching outfit or they had beans on toast for dinner.”