Ironman World Champion Chelsea Sodaro doesn’t keep her giant championship trophy in a fancy glass case.
Sodaro, the first American woman to win an Ironman World Championship in 25 years, hides the trophy in her closet. Her winner’s medal is hidden in her sock drawer, and she eventually moves both to her parents’ home, about 150 miles from her home.
“I really don’t like having reminders like that,” said a professional triathlete since 2017 who lives in Reno with her husband Steve and 19-month-old daughter Skye. Sodaro, 33, tells SELF, “I want to be super hungry, and I feel like if I was just looking at my accomplishments, that wouldn’t be good for my drive.”
Sodaro’s “stay hungry, stay humble” approach partly explains the former professional runner turned triathlete. Finished at 33:46. Widely considered the most prestigious race in the sport of triathlon, the Ironman Championship is a brutal event. Competitors battle ocean waves, unrelenting winds, quad-killing hills, and often intense heat as they swim 2.4 miles, bike 112 miles, and run 26.2 miles.
As Sodaro looks ahead to next year’s goals, including defending her title at the 2023 Ironman Championships, we asked the world-class athlete to share the training secrets that propel her to historic victory. ,Memorable day. Here are her best reflections.
1. Family comes first and family support is key.
Sodaro gave birth to her daughter in March 2021, and Skye was her “best thing ever,” she says. But balancing the roles of professional athletes and parents has been difficult. Especially since the birth of a child has limited the amount of time Sodaro has to devote to training. For example, before her pregnancy and the birth of Skye, Sodaro spent a lot of time implementing every detail of her training program, such as doing her 30-minute activation her drills before running. was able to spend But now she doesn’t always have the bandwidth.
Due to the strain of juggling both roles, Sodaro says he seriously considered quitting the sport of triathlon over the past year.
“It was really, really hard to get this to work,” she says. “I often feel like I’m failing at my job and being a mother. It’s like I can never do enough of both at the same time.” Her husband has provided unrelenting moral support, she says. It kept reminding me that there is a need and that in many ways it will be easier.”
