Kirsty Smith believes Dagný Brynjarsdóttir has paved the way for women’s footballers who want to start a family, showing that it is possible to return to and maintain the consistent high standards of the professional game.
West Ham United recently celebrated the release of Ómarsson, an original documentary presented by WOW Hydrate that celebrates life-long West Ham fan Brynjarsdóttir, who followed her dream to not only play for, but captain the team she grew up supporting, providing first-hand insight into her story on the challenges of pregnancy and motherhood as an elite athlete.
The Hammers welcomed over 150 guests to the exclusive premiere of the documentary at Curzon Bloomsbury on Wednesday, including many of Brynjarsdóttir's teammates and members of staff from the women's team.
Among the players present was defender Smith, who was quick to highlight the importance of the film.
“It’s obviously very exciting to be able to see the premiere of this documentary and see what it’s going to be like,” said Smith. “It’s lovely to be celebrating Dags like that.
“It’s nice to see the progress that has been made and the support that has now come from the Club to be able to start a family. To see the support they now have for people like Dags and Mini [Katrina Gorry] in the team is great, and I hope it will continue to progress further in the future.
“I think it’s a great thing to show how it can be done and supported. It’s clear to see from Dags and Mini how great having a family can be and how that influences you as a player. They have both said how it’s made them even better as players and I think that is something we need to support and encourage other people to do.
“It is amazing to see the achievements of Dags and we are all so proud of her, seeing how much she has come on having another baby, and hopefully coming back after that. I think that is something you can be really proud of, playing in the national team and having a baby as well, and I think that shows it is possible.”
Smith played with Brynjarsdóttir last season after making the move to east London from Manchester United, and admitted the influence of being around Dagný and Katrina’s children gives her and the rest of the team a boost on a day-to-day basis.
“It’s so nice having [Brynjar and Harper] around the training ground. It gives us a different outlook on life and we know they will cheer us up day-to-day,” Smith said.
“If you’re having a bad day, just seeing them and having them there brightens up your day, and I think that is a big part of it. Even though football is a big thing and it has its ups and down and highs and lows, having them there is a massive thing which puts a smile on your face each day.
“It’s good to be a part of a Club that has a big support of families, and hopefully in the future it will be a very common thing at all clubs and be possible to have that option and not feel like players can’t do it.”
You can watch the full 30-minute documentary by clicking on the video player above.
