Welcoming a newborn just weeks before preparing for the Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games) is an extraordinary moment where two demanding worlds collide, the intensity of elite sport and the emotional depth of new parenthood. For Singapore cricketer Rezza Gaznavi and his wife Hillary Nicole Segura Castro, this season has been filled with joy, challenges, and a renewed sense of purpose.
Our team spoke to Rezza and Hillary to understand how they are navigating this meaningful chapter while gearing up for the upcoming SEA Games.
Interview with Rezza Gaznavi and Hillary Nicole Segura Castro
For Rezza Gaznavi
1. Congratulations on becoming a father! How has fatherhood influenced your mindset, motivation, or emotional outlook as you prepare for the SEA Games?
Rezza: Thank you. To my mind, fatherhood is a longer journey than a few weeks of experiencing a newborn but from the little exposure that I have had, this initial phase has taught me to trust my gut, be in the present, and, of course, enjoy the moment. This is applicable to cricket and the SEA Games. Many a time, we are overawed by the big occasion when we should just enjoy and seize it.
It has been a satisfying and fulfilling journey thus far and I can say it has injected in me a dual sense of purpose and confidence. My wife and daughter complete me and is the comfort space I need. I also make sure I do my best so that when the time comes for me to tell my child, Halisme, to do her best, I have conviction in my voice.
2. Balancing elite training with caring for a newborn is a big transition. What does your daily routine look like now, and what adjustments have you made to manage both roles well?
Rezza: Yes, tell me about it! The irony is there is no longer a routine; the routine revolves around the baby. The adjustments are always made on the sleeping front; I minimized sleep to “create time”. I also put in sessions to train whenever I can, not just at the team-designated sessions because I must juggle on the other hand being a father, a husband, and a lawyer.
I make the most of my time and have become realistic about what I can and cannot do with the limited time I have. For this competition, I prioritized skills sessions to ensure my game is well-oiled and try to play my role to the best of my ability without trying to do more, unnecessarily.
3. As captain of the Men’s Cricket Team, what kind of support, whether from your wife, family, or coaches has been most meaningful for you during this period?
Rezza: They say it takes a village to bring up a child. I think it is somewhat similar with an athlete. Maybe you do not need so many people to assist but you do need people to assist. Many people have sacrificed for me, and I am indebted to them.
My wife, sweet yet strong like a rock, makes everything in my life more meaningful. She has taken to motherhood like a fish to water (lucky me)! It is hard to put into words how difficult a new mother’s job is. Unlike that of a father, a mother’s life changes radically instantly. The baby is immediately dependent on the mother for sustenance at a time when the mother is at her weakest and most vulnerable. It calls for selflessness, and my wife embodies it. She allows me to get rest at night whilst she gets up many times to feed Halisme. She does not complain when I head to the ground to play and is very pleasant about it, always supporting me. I am grateful. I am blessed to call her my wife.
Family: My wife and I live with my family, and they help.
My mother has 6 kids herself and is a source of wisdom that we can always turn to for help in all areas of life, parenting or otherwise. It also helps to know that someone under the roof has that kind of experience; she is my “get out of jail” card.
I am a lawyer at my father’s law practice, Mahmood Gaznavi Chambers LLC, and he has been kind and understanding to allow me some time off to train and attend to my duties as a father while he shoulders the responsibilities at work. But work never stops for me and I do my best to ensure that work is not compromised, which is a key ethos of my father’s being.
I have four other sisters – Farha, Zahra, Xaira, and Cazra – who are ever ready to lend a helping hand to assist us care for the baby, be it to attend to her when my wife and I sneak in time to eat or to look over Halisme when we find time to catch up on sleep.
Coaches: Amjad and Rajesh empathized and have never once said no to accommodate my requests to train whenever I get the opportunity. They make time to suit my convenience. They sweat alongside me, and such experiences create bonds that are hard to replace.
For Hillary Nicole Segura Castro
4. Congratulations on becoming a mother! As a new mother supporting a partner in high-performance sports, what has this journey been like for you, and what moments have stood out the most so far?
Hillary: Becoming a mother is a transformative and challenging process for all women regardless of your husband’s job or position. That being said, I am aware that my husband is man who has big goals, dreams, and expectations. Reminding myself that I chose and continue to choose him for the entirety of who he is and therefore supporting him in all his dreams has been integral in allowing myself to be patient and understanding of his limited time.
Even though he has limited time, I have him at my beck and call. My husband is an incredibly present and caring husband. I have never felt lonely or abandoned by him and that says a lot from a postpartum and hormonal woman. I joke and call him my lactation consultant!
I think the most important relationship a woman can ever have that will impact her marriage and motherhood in a positive manner is the relationship she has with herself. Being comfortable with being alone in times of high stress with a newborn specially just days after her birth has tested me in unimaginable ways. The battle is strongest with the mind. Taking time to stop, to take deep breaths, and to ask trustworthy friends, family, and professionals for help has been pivotal.
New mothers need the outmost care and support. We, like an athlete, are making the unimaginable happen. Rezza and I can agree that from the moment our daughter was placed on my chest, our hearts cracked open and our world changed. She has brought more meaning and light into our lives in unimaginable ways, as well as the motive to better ourselves in all areas of life. I can confidently say that given her birth, Rezza’s motivation and performance in all areas of life will only magnify, because he is the kind of human who is motivated by love and that is the essence of winners. He gives to everyone he meets in every sphere of life his whole self, so too his cricket. In my life he has not only played the role of a husband but that of a friend, companion, and now, caretaker.
5. With Rezza entering an intense training phase, how have both of you coordinated childcare, personal time, and household responsibilities to keep things running smoothly?
Hillary: Being married with a newborn sets life out of balance and that is to be cherished because it forces us to rebuild our routines and identities around parenthood. Maintaining mutual understanding and support for one another is central in making the other person feel seen and cherished. It is important to remember that your child happened because of the union between you two and not to see the child in isolation to your relationship. Intense and challenging moments will always happen but what matters most just like in sports is not how we start but how we finish, going through a challenge that earns us a winning medal.
In marriage it is the same. While my husband is away for the SEA Games, I know that there will be challenging times ahead but I will remind myself to cherish this time as a time I was supporting my husband in making his dreams come true while I look after our child as I know he will one day support my dreams too. I will remind myself that one day when we look back, we can show our child by example that this is what true love is all about, mutual support, and trust even when we must do things in isolation in marriage.
6. What has helped you stay grounded and emotionally supported during this period of big changes both as a new mother and as the partner of an elite athlete?
Hillary: As a child to parents of divorce I have always thought myself to rely on myself, my instincts and my relationship with God to be through all challenges but what postpartum has thought me is that we are not supposed to exist in isolation; woman specially need the outmost love and look support specially through motherhood. The support from my family and friends has really grounded me through these intense times. Looking at myself in the mirror and reminding myself that strength looks imperfect at times has been key in my continuous recovery and having a husband who has seen me at my weakest and still chooses to see me with love has had the most healing effect. Therefore, I choose to support him in all his athletic and professional endeavours as he has supported me through motherhood and beyond
I am also proud that he is contributing to Singapore and I, by supporting him, am also contributing to Singapore. Singapore has been my home since I was 12 years old. I am now 28 years old. I was educated here. My husband and daughter are Singaporeans. I eat the local food, I understand and can also speak the local slang, and I feel happy to be able to contribute to Singapore. I wish Singapore all the best in the upcoming games.
Combined Questions for Rezza Gaznavi and Hillary Nicole Segura Castro
7. Becoming parents while preparing for a major sporting event is a unique chapter. What has this experience taught both of you about partnership, resilience, and teamwork at home?
Rezza: Whatever team I am in or whatever I do, I will find ways and means to have Hillary on my side!
Hillary: Life is about the knowledge, values, and memories we transmit to the next generation. Therefore, Rezza and l to support each in all that we do with the utmost love and care.
8. Looking ahead, what values or hopes do you wish to build together as a family especially as you raise your child alongside Rezza’s sporting journey?
Rezza: Primarily, I hope to inculcate in my child the belief in God; to first, love God before fearing God, always remembering that His mercy is greater than His wrath. To be in that state where my daughter is content with what she has yet, always striving to be better. I hope to be able to show her that a spiritual life is more valuable than a mere material one. Other than that, provided she does not engage in activities that are unethical and are detrimental to her, she is free to be who she wants to be.
Hillary: Resilience, integrity, and self-worth.
As Rezza and Hillary step into this extraordinary chapter balancing newborn parenthood with the intensity of the SEA Games, their story stands as a heartfelt reminder of love, resilience, and the power of a united partnership. We wish Rezza, Hillary, and baby Halisme all the very best in the upcoming Games and in the beautiful journey of family life ahead.
