Pride Month: Paralympians Robyn Love and Laurie Williams on life as new mums and representing LGBTQ+ disabled athletes

As Pride Month begins, the Paralympians are writing a new chapter in their life together. Daughter Alba arrived in April and the pair are happier (and prouder) than ever.

Together for close to 10 years, the pair met in 2014 when Robyn joined the Great Britain basketball team. Striking up a connection almost immediately, the pair began dating and despite initial reservations soon opened up to team-mates.

Engaged since a magical proposal under the Eiffel Tower in Paris, Robyn and Laurie have gone from strength to strength and have found the first month of parenting surprisingly easier than expected.

"Overall, it's gone really well. You never know what to expect, but she's been really good as gold. It has been challenging at times, trying to get into a routine but we're finding it really rewarding," says Laurie.

Robyn explains: "I think we have been a perfect team and under high-pressure situations, so having this little baby, I think we've definitely had the experience that helped us handle it."

Laurie feels competing together on court has proved a factor in their positive start to parenting: "Through sport, you're made to be like a really good communicator so from the start we communicated how we were feeling and what we found challenging."

"I think that kind of compared with this natural competitiveness that we had, like we wanted to get it right obviously to make your life easier, but for Alba as well."

After competing together in Tokyo in the delayed Paralympic Games, the couple found out Laurie was pregnant while Robyn was playing for Scotland at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham. A long road of IVF had proved a success. The two were ecstatic.

The nature of the discovery was one of the reasons the pair opted to name their daughter Alba, the Gaelic term for Scotland, something that "just felt right" they say. "Scottish people are pretty proud," Robyn adds with a smile.

While aware of the pitfalls of social media, Laurie says fortunately everyone has been very supportive, including other disabled mothers. "I think it's important to highlight that there's nothing you can't do, you just need to adapt."

Laurie grew up living with motor neuropathy, which affected nerves in her trunk and legs, while Robyn was born with arthrogryposis with shortened muscles meaning her right leg is shorter than her left.

Robyn knows the power of representation and its importance growing up: "I didn't see LGBT people, disabled people, never mind the two things combined. Personally, I didn't see myself represented in media."

This experience has become the duo's driving force to be positive role models for the LGBTQ+ community, but raising awareness of the range of disabilities is important too, they say.