Aussie Olympics star Jana Pittman reveals the struggle that prompted her nine-year-old daughter to ask her a heartbreaking question

Olympian Jana Pittman has revealed that despite her ‘amazing life’ she still struggles with regret over not reaching her athletic potential, with a recent question from her daughter bringing her to tears.

The Australian sporting legend was a two-time world hurdler champion, but unfortunately never achieved her biggest goal: winning an Olympic medal due to a series of injuries.

Now a doctor and mother of six, Pittman shared how she feels a twinge of regret as the upcoming Olympic Games quickly approach.

“Reality check time,” she posted on Instagram on Monday.

Jana Pittman was a two-time world champion and won Commonwealth gold, but never won at the Olympics – and that still fills her with regret

Pittman (pictured with her children) says she still regrets not reaching her full potential on track

‘There are a lot of Olympic things going on at the moment that, despite my amazing life now, still bring some regret and sadness about not fulfilling my sporting potential!

“Especially with the recent passing of one of my great coaches.

‘Emily, my eldest daughter, and I started taking evening walks and she asked me if I was a little sad.

‘Then, after quiet reflection, she said, “Mommy, you’ve won the biggest gold medal ever… Me!!”

‘What a bit of inspiration, she made me laugh and cry at her beauty.

“She then went on to tell me that regret has no purpose, but that all my children will always love me and that’s what counts!” Pittman continued.

‘Out of the mouths of babies!

‘Show me a few things; I still have some unresolved issues from sports (like most retired athletes) and gosh, I’m really lucky to have this amazing kid, who likes himself and is a little mother hen to the other kids (and me) .

In 2017, Pittman also spoke about how difficult it was to give up her quest for Olympic gold.

Pittman (pictured with her children) was moved to tears after a recent conversation with her eldest daughter Emily (left)

‘I never achieved the goal I hoped for in my career. Growing up as a kid and wanting to win the Olympics is the only thing I ever dreamed of, I never achieved that,” she said on the SBS show Insight.

‘I have a beautiful family and three beautiful children. I’m studying to be a doctor… I’m wearing so many things that I can’t fit any more training in.

“I have no interest in being there [at the gym] but for some reason I can’t let it go because that elusive gold medal never happened.

“I feel very fat now because of the amount of food I eat,” she said as she laughed. “I just had a baby, but I feel like I just can’t stop eating.”

Fighting back tears, she said that despite her retirement, she found it difficult to let go of her sporting career on a number of occasions.

“I’m not sure I actually dealt with it [retirement] yet. “I think this is probably the hardest thing I’ve ever had to deal with,” she said.

“My poor family, every minute I think, ‘I’m retired, I’m done,’ but five minutes later I say, ‘No, I’m back in the gym, can you come and take care of the kids?’ ‘