FAREWELL

017 - Rethinking Toughness with Ironman World Champion Chelsea Sodaro

Feb 29, 2024

Ironman World Champion Chelsea Sodaro discusses her struggles with OCD, anxiety, and motherhood while training. She shares about setting goals, mantras, and opening up about mental health challenges. The podcast explores vulnerabilities, empowerment of female athletes, and advocacy for maternal rights.

01:01:27

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Episode guests

Chelsea Sodaro

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Episode notes

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Quick takeaways

Chelsea's victory in the Ironman World Championships underscored her battle with intense OCD and anxiety, revealing the unseen struggles of high performers in sports.

Chelsea's sports journey from ballet to competitive running was influenced by encounters with talented athletes and shaped her perspectives on competition and performance.

Chelsea's openness about her mental health challenges post-victory highlights the importance of seeking help, using coping strategies, and balancing motherhood with high-performance athletics.

Deep dives

Chelsea's Journey from Triathlete to World Champion

Chelsea Sidero, a triathlete, became the Iron Man World Champion, achieving this feat in Kona on her first attempt at the race. Her victory was against the backdrop of battling intense OCD and anxiety before and after the event, which the podcast explores. The episode delves into the facets of Chelsea's story that underlie the typical narratives of success in sports, shedding light on the struggles high performers endure. Chelsea's vulnerability in discussing mental health issues and the additional challenges faced by women and mothers in sports are highlighted.

Introduction

2min

Early Athletic Influences and Pursuit of Excellence

14min

Motherhood, Priorities, and Success in Ironman Race

20min

Confronting Intrusive Thoughts and Coping Strategies

9min

Embracing Vulnerability and Seeking Support

6min

Exploring Evolving Motivation and Advocacy for Women in Sports

2min

Empowering Female Athletes and Advocating for Maternal Rights

2min

Exploring Suffering, Growth, and Passion in Parenting

6min

In October 2022, many people witnessed triathlete Chelsea Sodaro, in her first time running the race, become the first American woman to win the Ironman World Championship in Kona. What they didn't see was that, in the months leading up to the race, she was learning how to balance motherhood and training, and struggling with intense OCD and anxiety. Today's episode is about that: the things we don't see. Because, in the world of performance, a lot of the focus goes to success and achievement—and not so much the difficulties high-performers are working through to accomplish those successes and achievements. We celebrate the "toughness" and not so much the vulnerability. But today, Chelsea goes deep not just on the things you might expect to hear from an Ironman World Champion - how she thinks about setting goals, the mantras she writes on her mirror, what her pain cave is like - but on the pains and mental health struggles that an Ironman World Champ might just as easily keep in the dark. By doing so, she shows what real toughness looks like.

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FAREWELL

017 - Rethinking Toughness with Ironman World Champion Chelsea Sodaro

Episode guests

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

Deep dives

Chelsea's Journey from Triathlete to World Champion

Early Athletic Influences and Inspirations

Navigating Challenges in Running and Performance

Coping During Tough Times and Mental Health Struggles

Lessons in Parenthood and Prioritizing Well-Being

Remember Everything You Learn from Podcasts