“It was a huge shock and it was a really hard decision to make,” Wilson said. “I’ve always been pretty vocal about women’s health and about fertility. At that moment, we decided to move forward with the pregnancy.”

Wilson’s plan was to compete at the world championships in Doha, which begin on Sunday, before taking time away from the pool.

“It didn’t go the way we wanted,” Wilson said. “Unfortunately, we had a miscarriage, which left us in a position of do we try again? Or do I continue my training for the Olympics and try after?

“We decided to try again and we were lucky enough on Christmas morning to have a positive test. I surprised Matt with it. We’re a lot more anxious about this pregnancy but super excited and hopefully everything goes well.”

Wilson’s Australian teammates were very aware of the 29-year-old’s struggles outside the pool.

After years of dealing with an irregular menstrual cycle, Wilson had all but conceded she may never fall pregnant. She has yearned for a big family and thought now was the right time to start a family.

That is not to say the decision to bypass a third Olympics didn’t play on her mind.

“Everything happens for a reason. It’s a hard one,” Wilson said. “Swimming becomes your identity when you give so much of yourself for such a long period of time. Another side of my identity has been really pushing women’s health and inspiring the younger girls to live a healthier lifestyle.

“It sits really OK with me. I probably was going through a bit of a loss of identity. I felt like a bit of a failure. My body wasn’t able to do what a woman’s body is supposed to do and I wasn’t able to swim because I couldn’t mentally put myself through it.”

The couple will also have quite the juggling act, with Short set to play Major League Cricket in the USA and The Hundred in the UK when their baby is due.

“It’s just a bit of a relief for not only me, but Madi as well,” Short said. “She doesn’t have to tell anyone any more lies. It’s all out there for everyone to know … and she’s doing really well.”

Wilson has been overwhelmed by the support from the Australian cricket community during a hard time for the young couple.

“Cricket Victoria knew what we were going through towards the end of last year, they reached out and sent us a care package,” the swimmer said.

“Matt is such a relaxed guy. We really don’t talk too much about sport away from the cricket field. I understand what he’s going through. It’s been a big 12 months for him. I couldn’t be prouder of him.”

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