How an Ironman Mom Wins When Most People Quit

The Hard Way With Joe De Sena

Spartan Races

Fitness, Alternative Health, Health & Fitness, 792700

4.7 • 870 Ratings

🗓️ 22 July 2025

⏱️ 15 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

In this episode, Joe De Sena talks with Ironman World Champion Chelsea Sodaro about how to stay driven, balanced, and resilient as a high-achiever and mom.

She opens up about the challenges of returning to elite sport after childbirth, the importance of mindfulness and gratitude, and how to keep going when things get tough. This is a powerful conversation about purpose, perseverance, and showing up for what matters most.

If you’ve ever struggled with balance, burnout, or staying motivated, this conversation will reignite your purpose and prove that it’s possible to thrive, not just survive.

Timestamps:

00:00 Meet Chelsea Sodaro

00:13 What’s her secret to success?

00:49 Handling daily struggles and staying disciplined

01:08 Balancing motherhood and elite sport

02:16 Work-life integration vs. balance

02:55 Returning to racing after childbirth

04:23 Staying grounded through parenting

05:36 Joe’s Ironman wake-up call

06:37 What’s next for Chelsea?

07:56 Triathlon vs. Spartan

09:02 Tips & Tricks for Daily Life

10:59 Gratitude as a superpower

12:16 Life after winning: chasing the next goal

13:23 Balancing ambition with contentment

14:19 Final thoughts and staying connected

Connect to Chelsea:

Website: chelseasodaro.com

Instagram: @chelseasodaro

Facebook: Chelsea Sodaro

Twitter / X: @ChelseaSodaro X (formerly Twitter)

Transcript

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0:00.0	For me, it's not so much about having a super balanced life all of the time.
0:04.0	It's about leading into the things that I really care about.
0:07.0	I want to be great at everything that I do.
0:10.0	And the reality is we spend so much time on the side of the mountain, right?
0:16.0	Like, pursuing that peak performance.
0:18.0	And you only spend like a day on the top right you win a really big
0:23.0	race and it's awesome for that day but the next day you're like back to reality real quick
0:28.1	welcome to the hard way podcast with joe the Sina founder and CEO of spartan races we're teaching
0:35.0	you how to overcome your obstacles in your life the same way we teach our 10 million plus Spartans to overcome obstacles on the course.
0:41.9	With insight from the smartest, most accomplished experts from every corner of the world.
0:46.1	Get ready to elevate your life today.
0:49.6	Joe DeSenter here, CEO and founder of Spartan and hosts the Hardway podcast.
0:55.5	Got a really good one for you today.
0:56.8	I got a mom.
0:58.0	Mom, Iron Man Triathlete, Chelsea Sedero.
1:02.7	She gives birth 18 months later, heads out to the Iron Man World Champs.
1:07.3	She wins it, 2022 Iron Man World Champ. It's hard enough to be a mom. It's incredibly
1:14.4	hard to be a mom and an Iron Man world champ all within 18 months. Welcome aboard, Chelsea.
1:19.8	Thanks so much for having me. What's the secret? I mean, all of us want to, you know, have the
1:24.5	superpowers you have, want to be as athletic as you are, like,
1:27.6	what's the secret? You just wake up one day and you're like, I just don't want to be ordinary
1:32.4	anymore? I definitely am not a superhero. I am just like everybody else doing their best
	...

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