the tara bixby podcast 26. From Emotional Breakdown to Worlds Toughest Race With Sonja Wieck
Today's episode is a courageous story of a female endurance athlete who went from the top of her game to an emotional breakdown that had her living with thoughts of suicide.
Sonja Wieck is a top Ironman triathlete with nothing but passion, drive, and determination. She can be seen leading her group of three men on Team Iron Cowboy on Mark Burnett’s new competition show “World’s Toughest Race Eco-Challenge Fiji” hosted by Bear Grylls, which can be seen on Amazon Prime.
At the ripe age of 40, she is a 6x Kona Ironman World Championship Qualifier and Competitor, has participated in 18 Ironman competitions, came in 2nd place at Kona Ironman World Female 35-39 age group, was named the Ironman All World Female 35-39 Champion, Tokyo’s Joe’s Athlete of the Month, participated in multiple Ultramarathons finishing up to 100 miles, ran the Grand Canyon Rim to Rim in 12 hours, and that’s just the half of it.
Sonja Wieck states her mission is simple. She wants to encourage men and women of all ages that you can push yourself to do the impossible, but if you strive for success and achievement for your own ego, you will be left unfulfilled. It is when you pursue your dreams for your own personal growth, you learn the most about yourself and are able to show up best for others around you. Sonja wants people to know life is about more than ourselves but giving back and helping others, and this is what is missing from competitive sports.
IN TODAY'S EPISODE, YOU WILL LEARN:
- What it's like to compete in the worlds toughest race (6:05)
- What led to Sonja's breakdown (10:05)
- Sonjas feelings surrounding normalizing mental health struggles in sports (16:40)
- What Sonja's breakdown looked like (18:27)
- Sonja's breakdown red flags that were ignored (22:59)
- What helped Sonja cope with her symptoms (25:42)
- The concept that was one of the hardest things for Sonja to break down in therapy (30:15)
- What Sonja was feeling when she was having suicidal ideations (35:02)
- The advice she would give to herself if she could go back in time (41:00)
- The details behind Sonjas continued struggle with anxiety and how she manages it (42:28)
- How Sonja went from breakdown to the worlds toughest race (46:38)
- The practice Sonja engages in prior to making commitments (52:18)
I can’t wait to hear your feedback on this episode! Screenshot and tag me—I’m @courageously.u— and my guest—@gosonja and share your thoughts, feelings, and reactions.
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