Iron mum, USA’s Chelsea Sodaro, rounded out the podium at the 2024 VinFast IRONMAN World Championship in Nice, France this weekend, showcasing the remarkable resilience and strength of mothers in elite sports, and testifying to the powerful balance between motherhood and athletic excellence.
With a finish time of 9:04:38, Sodaro said this race was a “pretty hard-fought swim, bike and run for me” and that “despite a less-than-ideal preparation for this race”, she “poured it all out on the course” to finish the race in third place behind Germany’s Laura Philipp (8:45:15) and Great Britain’s Kat Matthews (8:53:20).
“I’m really proud of what I’ve accomplished,” Sodaro said a post-race press conference, reflecting on her career over the last two years since taking out the World Championship title in 2022, just 18 months following the birth of her daughter, Skye.
“I think that when you reach the top step at an IRONMAN World Championship, all you want to do is [to] achieve that again. So, I continue to work for that goal …”
Watch the video below to learn more about the phenomenal Chelsea Sodaro:
women shouldn’t have to choose
But Sodaro is more than just a champion of her sport — she’s a passionate advocate for maternal rights, a champion of mothers in sport and believes that female athletes shouldn’t have to choose between motherhood and career.
Speaking to 220 Triathlon’s Tim Heming in 2023, Sodaro said while juggling motherhood and career isn’t easy, through her achievements she wants to show daughter Skye, that anything is possible and that choosing to have children shouldn’t put an end to pursuing other goals, dreams and aspirations.
“There are more women than I expected who feel like they need permission to pursue their own dreams and own goals in sports,” Sodaro is quoted as saying.
“My goal is to show what’s possible when you have the right support system in place and that as mums, we deserve to have that time to ourselves, and that actually taking time for ourselves and pursuing things that light us up as whole people makes us a better parent.
“I also think a lot about the kind of woman I want Skye to be, and how I want her to see me.
“I want her to feel like she can pursue whatever it is that makes her feel happy and alive and that she can also have a family and kids if that’s what she wants.”
redefining what’s possible
Like Sodaro, there are countless mothers who juggle motherhood and career.
Motherhood and career aspirations don’t have to be mutually exclusive and instead can be intertwined paths that empower one another.
The strength, resilience, and determination required to be both a mother and a professional are testaments to the limitless potential within every woman.
By embracing both roles — if they choose to — women are not only achieving their dreams but are also setting powerful examples for the next generation, proving that success isn’t necessarily about choosing between family and career — it’s about redefining what’s possible when you pursue both with passion and purpose.
x G.
Feature image: 3rd place Chelsea Sodaro of the USA smiles on the podium during the 2024 VinFast IRONMAN World Championship, Women’s Race on 22 September 2024 in Nice, France.
Feature image credit: Photo by Donald Miralle for IRONMAN.
View the IMWC race recap here:
editor, journalist, digital content creator with a background in nutrition & dietetics.
Leave a Reply