Outside Podcast What’s Harder Than the Ironman World Championship, with Chelsea Sodaro
Aug 12, 2025
In this conversation, Chelsea Sodaro, a professional triathlete and the Ironman World Champion of 2022, opens up about her journey through athletic excellence and personal challenges, including postpartum depression. She discusses the importance of community support among female athletes and how it fosters motivation and representation. Chelsea also shares her insights on mental resilience, advocating for wellness in sports, and the significance of gear in triathlons. Her candid reflections highlight the balance between physical endurance and mental health.
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
Swimming Panic In First Minutes
- During early race swims Chelsea often panics and feels like she might drown in the first minutes.
- She likens congestion and contact in open-water starts to a real fear that she still manages race after race.
Ironman’s Staggering Scale Explained
- Ironman is an extreme endurance event composed of a 3.8 km swim, 112-mile bike, and a marathon run.
- Chelsea emphasizes that distances vary across triathlon and that Ironman sits at the top of that spectrum.
Extreme Gear Nerding And Wind Tunnels
- Chelsea admits to being an extreme gear nerd and uses custom aero bars and wind-tunnel testing.
- She hires specialists and tweaks wetsuits and bars to shave speed and feel like a porpoise in the water.
