BBC Sports presenter Natalie Pirks has announced she's stepping away from her dream job after more than a decade with the corporation.
The broadcaster shared the news on Instagram this Tuesday, revealing she'll be leaving in just two weeks.
It's been quite the career for Pirks, who spent 13 years travelling the globe to cover some of sport's biggest moments.
Her CV is genuinely impressive – she's reported from four World Cups and four Olympic Games, along with countless major finals.
Natalie Pirks has racked up an impressive CV while at the BBC
|But despite ticking every box professionally, the presenter says something far more personal prompted her decision to walk away.
The turning point came in the form of a simple drawing by her four-year-old daughter.
Pirks revealed the image depicted her lying down while pregnant, glued to her phone – and it left a lasting mark.
"My daughter once drew a picture of me that is burned in my memory," she wrote.
The presenter admitted her little girl had captured something painfully accurate about her life at the time.
"She was just four years old. And she was right," Pirks reflected.
It was this moment of clarity, seeing herself through her child's eyes, that sparked a fundamental rethink about what truly matters.
In her heartfelt post, Pirks acknowledged the contradiction at the heart of her situation.
"Successful on paper. Spinning plates in real life," she wrote. "Good at your job but your own harshest critic, missing key moments with your family, wondering if this is really it?"
After more than two decades in broadcasting, she's come to a clear conclusion about priorities.
"Your job is the most important of the least important things," the presenter reflected.
Rather than dwelling on what she's leaving behind, Pirks says she's "running towards balance and presence" – taking the skills from her 25-year media career into whatever comes next.
Natalie Pirks has worked several major sporting events including the World Cup and the Olympics
|The announcement struck a chord with plenty of fellow broadcasters who know exactly what she's talking about.
Sky Sports presenter Hayley McQueen praised Pirks as "a role model" to her daughters and viewers alike.
BBC colleague Kelly Somers recalled chatting with Pirks in a mixed zone in Russia about her girls back home, calling her "an amazing role model."
Laura Woods simply wrote: "RELATE x 1000000000 well done Nat, this is amazing."
Presenter Angus Scott offered some wisdom too: "We are devoted to our work, but work never recognises that in return. We are devoted to our families, and they will recognise that – if we are present."