Paralympic champion Ellie Simmonds has opened up about the emotional and ethical complexities she faces in deciding whether to become a mother. In her new ITV documentary Ellie Simmonds: Should I Have Children?, she explores the unique challenges posed by her condition, achondroplasia—a common form of dwarfism—and the implications it may have on any future children. Now 30 and retired from elite swimming, Simmonds reflects on the pressure of family planning and the risks involved if her future partner also has dwarfism, with a potential 25% chance of passing on a fatal ‘double dose’ of the condition.
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Throughout the programme, Simmonds speaks with parents who have faced similar decisions, including families of children with dwarfism and Down’s syndrome. These conversations provide a deeply human context to the dilemmas surrounding disability, pregnancy, and parental responsibility. Ellie shares her concern about societal expectations and the emotional weight attached to choosing whether or not to bring a potentially disabled child into the world. She questions whether society’s discomfort with disability reflects deeper internalised fears, saying, “People’s fear of a disability is actually a fear of what’s inside of them.”
Her personal journey also revisits her own adoption, revealing a painful but ultimately healing reconnection with her birth mother, who gave her up as a newborn after discovering her condition. The documentary captures a deeply moving conversation between the two, with her birth mother expressing enduring guilt, trauma, and eventual pride in Ellie’s success. “All I could see was your disability… I grieved the child I thought you should have been,” she admitted, offering a rare glimpse into the mental health struggles surrounding adoption and disability.
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As Simmonds listened, visibly emotional, she acknowledged the complexity of her birth mother’s decision. “We don’t want to blame anyone,” she said with grace, “decisions are decisions.” The documentary closes with Ellie reflecting on societal pressures and internalised biases towards disability. With honesty and vulnerability, she raises important questions about love, legacy, and the courage it takes to confront the future.
