Chelsea Sodaro: Ironman World Champion, Mom, Equality in Sport and Mental Health Advocate
Alright. In studio today, we had the pleasure of welcoming Ironman world champion, Chelsea Sodaro. This is a great conversation with Chelsea. We cover so many topics, including how she got into triathlon, a little bit about her epic win at the 2022 Ironman World Championship in Kona. We really walked through some of the things she was thinking during that day and a little bit about the buildup, going into it.
Justin Metzler:We also talk a lot about some of the changes she she's had in the recent 2 years, some location changes moving to Boulder, coaching changes, and all of that was very insightful for me to understand. We also hit some of the hot topics that she's well known for talking about, whether that's women's sports or motherhood or equality, things she's very passionate about, and we discussed that in today's podcast. Overall, really enjoyed this episode with Chelsea, and I know you will too. So enjoy this one with Chelsea Starr. Alright.
Justin Metzler:Welcome to another episode of the Endurance Matters podcast. I'm your host, Justin Metzler. And in the studio today is an absolute superstar, world champion, Chelsea Sodaro. Chelsea, welcome to the podcast.
Chelsea Sodaro:Thanks so much for having me, Justin. It's so fun to be here
Justin Metzler:with you. Awesome. I start off the podcast with a very hard hitting question, really, you know, kinda get it going. If you had to choose a theme song for every time that you ran down the finish line, what would it be and why?
Chelsea Sodaro:Okay. This is actually really easy for me.
Justin Metzler:Nice.
Chelsea Sodaro:My husband insists. That the next time I get to choose a walkout song, it's gonna be Who Let the Dogs Out.
Justin Metzler:Perfect.
Chelsea Sodaro:And my daughter is, like, so into it. So we'll sing, like, twinkle, twinkle little star, and then at the end, my husband will be like, but who let the dogs out?
Justin Metzler:And she makes it
Chelsea Sodaro:the funniest thing ever. So that'll
Justin Metzler:be it. Oh, nice. That is an exceptional answer. I was trying to think what mine would be, but that's that's so good. Alright.
Justin Metzler:Well, cool. Yeah. I'm I have so much prepared for this interview. I feel like we could talk about a million things. I definitely wanna talk a little bit about how you got into triathlon.
Justin Metzler:I don't know if everyone knows that story. So I guess, like, walk me back only a couple years now about how you got into triathlon and sort of how this journey started for you.
Chelsea Sodaro:Yeah. I'm really a lifelong runner, and my big goal was to make the Olympics in running. I had, an up and down career at UC Berkeley on the track and cross country team there. I was injured a lot. I really didn't have my health figured out.
Chelsea Sodaro:And it wasn't until my 5th year that I kind of broke out and was running some sort of national level times, becoming all American. I had no sponsorship offers after graduating. No agents were calling me up and just decided to give it a go on my own. My husband was also, like, pretty newly out of university and was working a bunch of random jobs so that I train full time, and we just went all in and decided to see what would happen. And I quickly won a couple of national titles and thought, like, I'm making it.
Chelsea Sodaro:I signed a super small, endorsement deal with a shoe company and proceeded to be injured off and on for the next 3 years. Had a really bad day at the Olympic trials in 2016, and my shoe deal was up. I thought, like, I have no idea what I'm doing with my life. I had been watching triathlon from a distance. The American woman were super competitive in Rio, and Steve looked at me on the couch and thought said, you should try that.
Chelsea Sodaro:It'd be really good. You're always hurt. You know how to swim and bike. Like, give it a go. And I thought it was a stupid idea, but, he had a carbon frame that had been gifted to him and got a bike build up for me.
Chelsea Sodaro:I joined a master's group and got obsessed as we do.
Justin Metzler:Wow. That's that's awesome. How deep was your swimming background at that point? Did you have any swimming experience? Because you're an an exceptional swimmer now.
Justin Metzler:You wouldn't ever tell that you maybe picked up swimming late.
Chelsea Sodaro:Well, that's very generous of you to say. I have worked really hard at it. I grew up in Davis, California, where Dave Scott is from, actually. We have an infrastructure there that's really set up for biking. All the kids do summer swim league.
Chelsea Sodaro:So I would, like, cruise around town on, you know, a bike from Target or whatever. And I did summer swim team starting probably when I was 5 or 6, but I didn't enjoy it. I wasn't very good at it, and I quit by the time I was maybe 10. I was injured a few times, so I would, like, jump in with my brother's team. My brother was a very good swimmer and ended up playing collegiate water polo water polo.
Chelsea Sodaro:So I think maybe it's in my blood a little bit, but really rediscovered it as a grown up. When I was 27, I had to kind of learn to swim again. And I ended up joining, an ITU squad and was fully immersed. The swimmers there the triathletes there were very good swimmers, and it was a sink or swim situation where I had to make the send off or leave. So I was swimming 30, 35 k a week for 2 years just going all in.
Chelsea Sodaro:And I think in retrospect, that's really paid off for me now. Yeah.
Justin Metzler:That's huge. Coming from running, I know in the running world, the Olympics is such a massive North Star for a lot of those athletes. Coming from a running background, was that sort of the same mindset when you got into triathlon? Like, oh, okay. I wasn't necessarily able to achieve this in running.
Justin Metzler:I really wanna go for it in triathlon.
Chelsea Sodaro:Yeah. Initially, I was still committed to the Olympic dream, and that's why I, you know, joined the ITU squad. It was an international squad based in San Diego and was kind of thrust onto the circuit first at the Continental Cup level and then at the World Cup level. And at that time, it was so competitive that it was really hard to get on to a WTCS starting line. So I actually 18 months into that process, I won a World Cup in Mexico, and I was there by myself.
Chelsea Sodaro:Like, I had no teammates or coach or family there, and I win this race, which is kinda supposed to, like, be the launching pad of my Olympic career. And I just felt, like, super lonely, was not having fun. I really didn't enjoy the short course racing and thought this is not for me. So at that point, I I actually quit triathlon for a few weeks. This was in the summer of 2018.
Justin Metzler:And how do you go from that to, okay, I'm gonna jump into a 70.3 now, which you ultimately end up winning. Right? Winning your, 1st or second 70.3 at Indian Wells?
Chelsea Sodaro:Yeah. I call Indian Wells my first 70.3 because I actually did Waco a few weeks earlier, and the swim was canceled. And I feel like that is not real.
Justin Metzler:It doesn't count. It doesn't count.
Chelsea Sodaro:But I I think there is still a piece of me, which is kind of a theme that has carried on throughout my career. There has just always been this deep intrinsic belief that I'm capable of great achievement in sport. And there was, yeah, just still something inside where I thought, like, this isn't over for me. And I had some people in my life at that time and a couple of coaches, like, speaking into my life who said, I think you can be good at this longer stuff and just give it a go. And at that time, I was starting to work with Matt Dixon in a purple patch out of San Francisco.
Chelsea Sodaro:And before I did a 70.3, he said, I want you to go to this training camp with Sarah Piampiano in Kona. And I was like, Matt, I'm not doing I just quit ITU. I'm not doing training camps anymore. I don't wanna leave home. I have no money, like, literally negative money right now.
Chelsea Sodaro:I'm not doing it. And somehow he talked me into it, and I spent 10 days in Kona with Sarah, totally fell in love with the big island. I think they kept on expecting me to get dropped from sessions, but I just kept on getting better the longer I was in that environment. And it's just crazy foreshadowing because the assistant coach that was there pulled me aside during a swim. He's like, Chelsea, come here.
Chelsea Sodaro:I thought I was in trouble. He goes, grab onto my paddleboard. Come here. I need to talk to you. And I was like, what's what's wrong, Paul?
Chelsea Sodaro:And he goes, you could win this race one day. And when you start to have other people like that believing in you and telling you that you can be great, you start to believe it
Justin Metzler:yourself. Totally. That's huge. Amazing segue to my next question. I really wanna focus a bit on that 2022 season.
Justin Metzler:For those that don't know, I mentioned it in the introduction. Chelsea won, the world championship in Kona, which is kind of the pinnacle of the sport. She's also the first mother to do so. Is that correct? Mother.
Chelsea Sodaro:2nd mother. I'm the
Justin Metzler:Tasha
Chelsea Sodaro:Bodman Okay. Had a had a kid, maybe first new mom. I think her child was 12
Justin Metzler:when she won. So Okay. Yeah. Still incredibly impressive. I wanna dive into that year specifically because, you know, it was somewhat of a breakthrough performance.
Justin Metzler:You had very good results going into that through, you know, 2019. Obviously, the pandemic year, not a lot of results happening 2021. But 2022, you sort of get this, like you hit this stride. You know, you had 3 podium finishes leading into the world championships that year at 70.3 Mallorca, Hamburg, and the Canadian Open, which was super competitive. That sort of, like, propels you onto the world stage.
Justin Metzler:Did you have a sense that season that things were clicking and you were on track for a special performance?
Chelsea Sodaro:Not really. I think I was honestly truly in survival mode at that point. My daughter was, you know, a year old when that season started, and I was dealing with a lot of mental health challenges at the time, which I've spoken to. But I was sort of white knuckling through a lot and trying to still, like, be competitive in the sport. I I was very much, like, postpartum from a health standpoint, trying to, you know, get my body back together in one piece and also managing new motherhood and having a child.
Chelsea Sodaro:My husband was working full time then, and we didn't have great childcare. So trying to piece together the training and racing. And, honestly, that Homburg race was the first time where I was having fun again and also feeling like, oh, this maybe this Ironman thing is for me. I had so much fun in that race, which was surprising. I think when you go into your first Ironman, you're like, I don't know how this is gonna go.
Chelsea Sodaro:Can I even finish this? Can I even accomplish the distance? And I left that race thinking, I I can there's more in me here. Of course, along in the way, there are so many up and downs. Edmonton was, you know, a world stage at that time where there was so much money in the t one hundred and getting on on the podium there was, like, life changing for us.
Chelsea Sodaro:And, you know, I, hawked down Laura Phillip at the end to get 3rd. I had this, like, kick. My running was kind of coming back. But then I totally shit the bed at the Collins Cup a month later and got really sick. My husband had to talk me into going to my training camp in Kona, actually.
Chelsea Sodaro:He said, just go just get on the plane. If you don't feel good, then you can take a 2 week vacation in Kona by yourself. And, like, that is music to the ears of a sleep deprived mom.
Justin Metzler:Yeah.
Chelsea Sodaro:But, yeah, really, like, came around. And my preparation for Kona went well, but I never, like, did the math of what my fitness would add up to on the course. I just, like, went out there to execute a day and hopefully not get my butt kicked and see what I could do, but there were so few expectations on me.
Justin Metzler:Yeah. That's massive. Did how to walk me through a little bit of the day itself. Like, were you kind of having this positive momentum through the race that propelled you all the way to the finish line? Were there hard moments in the race where you were questioning whether or not getting on the podium or even winning the race was possible?
Justin Metzler:Or was it just one of those days where the gun fired in the morning, you start swimming, and you're like, okay. I'm on one today.
Chelsea Sodaro:What's so bizarre about that race and that week is that I was you know, I didn't get invited to any, like, press conference. I had no media. So, like, no one I don't even know if anyone was picking me for the top 10. And there so there were very few, external there was very little external pressure. I my team manager at the time said to Steve, it'd be really nice if she'd get in the top 10.
Chelsea Sodaro:I didn't know about this. And Steve said to him, she's gonna be on the podium. And the guy was like, a top ten would be really nice. But I was so nervous. Like, I could hardly eat race week.
Chelsea Sodaro:I think I had a healthy fear of the island and what the race demands. And, of course, it's a very big stage, so I wasn't like I didn't feel external pressure. But, like, internally, I felt like this is gonna go really well or it's gonna go really poorly. And on race morning, I had just, like, fear in my eyes. And Renee saw me, at the transition, and she came up to me and gave me a huge hug.
Chelsea Sodaro:I was like, I really needed that. And she said, you're gonna do great. And once I got in the water, I just felt this sense of peace. And the gun goes off, and I kind of get into this good swim group. And I look over to my right, and I see this rainbow.
Chelsea Sodaro:And it was such a great symbol for the day. I just kind of pretended like I was on a fun swim with my girlfriends and took the race one step at a time. I ended up losing all my nutrition, like, halfway through the race and thought, oh, that's a bummer. But problem solved and went out hard on the run. I felt like, I just felt good and got into my rhythm and ended up getting into the lead, I think, 7 miles in.
Chelsea Sodaro:So led 19 miles of the marathon and was so committed to my process and my mantras and executing my day that I didn't allow myself to consider winning until the very end.
Justin Metzler:Yeah. What were some of the thoughts that you were telling yourself for those 19 miles? Were you tapping into maybe some of the hardships that you had experienced in the previous 18 months coming back from giving birth and having a child? Or maybe just this, like, sort of somewhat rapid ascension from having no money in your bank account to, okay, now I'm actually like a player trying to win a world title? Sort of what what's going through your mind?
Justin Metzler:Or is it just so process oriented, like step after step?
Chelsea Sodaro:When I'm racing and especially when I'm racing at my best, I am very present. And so I just tell myself to stay here and focus on one breath and one step at a time, and I actually don't think a lot about my family or my daughter. Like, that's very emotional to me, and I want to be all about execution. I did I've spoken about this quite a bit, but all of that week, you know, Sky was a year and a half and then this phase of saying no to everything. And so my dad would dance with her in our Airbnb and say, yes.
Chelsea Sodaro:Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes.
Chelsea Sodaro:This got stuck in my head. So, like, for most of the bike and the run to every stride and pedal stroke, I was like, yes. Yes. Yes. Yes.
Chelsea Sodaro:Yes. Yes. And this was just, like, all about, I think and it's become this mantra for me and for other people. When I go race now on the sidelines, people will yell to me, yes. Yes.
Chelsea Sodaro:Yes. And it's all about, like, leaning into the hard moments and recommitting to yourself and pushing forward when things get tough. So on that particular day, I did a a really good job at just staying where my feet were and moving forward one step at a time. And it's amazing on those days how fun it is. It's really hard, and you honestly forget a little bit, you know, about the challenges that you went through on the day.
Chelsea Sodaro:But I had a lot of crowd support, and I was very present and able to soak it all in.
Justin Metzler:Yeah. That's huge. How about when you're out there on the race course and you see Steve or you see see see Skyler? Because I know from my perspective, some of the best races that I've had are they are sort of emotionally charged in some way. Like, if I'm having a really good race and I'm about to win or I'm about to get on the podium and I see my dad or I see my wife, Jeannie, like, you're almost overcome with this emotion because they're so along with you on the ride of all the ups and the and the downs.
Justin Metzler:Are you just trying to not sort of, you know, look at them? Are you trying to not let those emotions creep in, or do you just let it kind of happen if it does?
Chelsea Sodaro:Yeah. Skye is, you know, still so little and was even tinier then. So she wasn't out on the course much. My mom tries to get her to, like, you know, swim exit or transition, so I'll occasionally see her. But when Steve is with me at races during race week, we've really become more colleagues than husband and wife.
Chelsea Sodaro:We're really, like, working together, for the goal. He does a good job of getting out on a bike for most of the the run courses, and so I saw him a lot on that day. And because I was out front, I just felt like it was me and him working through the marathon all day together. And I'm so proud of our, like, relationship out out of triathlon outside of triathlon and our work, of course, but I think we've done a really good job of, you know, continuing to work as a team as it's become, like, this business and professional partnership, and that was on full display that day.
Justin Metzler:Yeah. Huge. That's I mean, it's definitely not easy. I think you see that a lot, and I've had a lot of conversations like that even in the studio because, like, you know, my wife's a professional triathlete. It is all under the same umbrella.
Justin Metzler:It's, like, kind of the business. It can it can get intense, and I think it's, impressive and commendable when you can sort of find that balance between, like, alright. We're husband and wife. We're parents. We're business partners.
Justin Metzler:We're whatever. And so to have it all come together on a day is is really cool. I think, like, one of the famous moments from that race, before we move on was just, like, sort of your your reaction at the finish line. There was I wanna hear what that was. Was it shock?
Justin Metzler:Was it elation? Were you, like, exuberated? What really was the thought process, or, like, what were you feeling?
Chelsea Sodaro:Yeah. When I, got into the lead at 7 Miles and coming up Pilani, one of the race photographers said to me, Chelsea Sodaro, you are leading the Ironman World Championships. Can you believe it? And I just thought in my head, like, shut up. There's so much race left to go.
Chelsea Sodaro:Yeah. And that's my that was my attitude for the rest of the day. And in the last 5 or 10 k, I said, you can enjoy this if you make it to the last 2 k with a good lead. And so those last 8 minutes or whatever, I did soak it in. And like I said, I never, you know, did the math of what my fitness or performance could lead to.
Chelsea Sodaro:And on that day, it ended up being the 2nd fastest time ever on that course and a win. And I just grabbed the tape, and I couldn't, like, stop saying, oh my god. I really believe that I can win this race again, and I'm working really hard and building a team around me that will hopefully enable that. But, like, there's never gonna be another race like that one in 22 2022 for me because, you know, it was the first. It was such a surprise for me and for everybody else.
Chelsea Sodaro:And it was just, like, so pure. You know? Like, my team was tiny. There was, like, not a whole lot of money involved at that time. Like, there weren't a ton of, like, resources getting poured into me.
Chelsea Sodaro:And so it was, like, super scrappy the way we got there, and I think, like, the most important people were there at the finish line, which was Steve and my daughter and my parents. And, like, there's no way I would have made it to the starting line without any of them. And so to have that moment there, like, with the lights on on the biggest stage of our sport and to kind of, like, see to yeah. To be on that stage where, like, your community is witnessing, like, a decade's worth of work come together on one day is really special.
Justin Metzler:So cool. I mean, like, I can totally relate to those days where it's just like I obviously, I can't relate to winning a world title, but I can relate to a day where it's just it feels pure. It's coming. Like, you just get that that joy from it, and that's just that's so cool that you're able to do that on the world's biggest stage and kind of, like, now, you know, you've reaped the rewards from that, and, it's just very, very cool and very interesting. So I wanna talk a little bit now about fast forward to the future, which really wasn't that long ago.
Justin Metzler:It was only 2 years ago. Right? Isn't it
Chelsea Sodaro:funny in our like, in pro sports. Right? They're just moments. And as soon as, like honestly, like, on that day that I finished that race, I had people asking me, when are you gonna have another baby? How much longer are you gonna keep on doing this?
Chelsea Sodaro:When are you gonna retire? And I'm like, I'm 33 years old. This is my 2nd Ironman. Like, I am just getting started in this game, and I still feel that way today. Right?
Chelsea Sodaro:Like, that was only 2 years ago. I really think I'm still getting better. Our sport is getting better, really quickly. It's more competitive than ever. But, like, the future is really bright.
Chelsea Sodaro:And, you know, a lot of people wanna make you feel like you're a flash in the pan or that, like, you're only as good as your last performance. But I have been taught really well by some of my mentors that you are as good as your best performance. And so that's what I, like, continue to hold on to through all of the ups and downs, which we all go through.
Justin Metzler:Oh, I'm holding I'll hold on to that. That's a very good piece of advice and very poignant for me right now, so thank you. But I don't I think even the results themselves are proving that you're not a flash in the pan. You know, you started 2024 off incredibly strong. You know, you had 2 wins back to back, 70.3 Tasmania, Ironman New Zealand.
Justin Metzler:I was actually at Ironman New Zealand, watched you perform incredibly well there. You just dominated the race. When did you feel like you started needed to start making some changes to your team? Because, like, you said, in 2022, was kind of a tight knit group. Was it a matter of, okay, now I'm a bigger brand.
Justin Metzler:I have more resources at my disposal. I'm gonna take advantage of that, or did you feel as though in order to get to the next step, you needed to start making some changes?
Chelsea Sodaro:I think that some things just run their course. And what maybe served us at one point in our lives or work, you know, doesn't serve us later on, and we're all evolving and learning and changing and growing. And, you know, this year, I've had a lot of time to reflect on what I want for this next phase of my career, and I was quite overwhelmed with, you know, like, the immediate success that came with the Kona win, and it was such a privilege to be able to make a lot of choices, about my team and sponsorships. But I think this year, I've really gone back to, you know, like, a smaller, tight knit group of people who are really around me for the right reasons and who really wanna win but also care about me as an individual. And, like, ironically, I believe that's when athletes perform their best when the people that they're working with are not in transactional relationships.
Chelsea Sodaro:Right? Like, they really lift you up as a human, and they are there for you on the good days and the bad days. And I had to take a hard look at, you know, who I was involved with and, yeah, see if I was on the right path for myself and made some really big changes this summer. I do not think that I would have made it to the start line in Nice without those changes. I feel really strongly about that.
Chelsea Sodaro:I have like, this is the happiest I think I've been in my career and the most supported I felt in my career. In Nice, I was there with Steve, my husband, my mental coach David Spindler, and my strength coach Matt Pandola, and just felt so uplifted and joyful. And, like, they were all there because they wanted to be there, and they believed in me. But no matter how the race went, you know, they would be there the day after. And in it with me for the long haul, I think, you know, some of the chain changes in sponsorship and in and coaching, like, I'm not seeing the immediate rewards of that right now.
Chelsea Sodaro:These are, like, decisions for next year and the year after and to keep me in this game for the next 5 years, but really excited about where things are headed.
Justin Metzler:Yeah. I mean, you mentioned it. I think, like, it's cliche, but a happy athlete is a fast athlete. So even if there's not, like, you're seeing a physiological improvement in 2 months' time, yeah, you're not gonna see that. But if you are happy, you're gonna race better.
Justin Metzler:You're gonna enjoy it more. It's gonna reap rewards in the short term. And, you know, like you said, you might have not even made it to Nice without those changes. So that's huge. How does Boulder become part of the discussion?
Chelsea Sodaro:Originally, we thought we wanted to move back to California. We'd been living in Reno, Nevada for almost 3 years for my husband's job, and he quit his job last year to stay home full time with our daughter and support me more on the day to day with my racing and training. So we didn't need to be there anymore. And, originally, we're thinking of moving back to Marin County, and I was at a photo shoot with The Feed for the Tour de France commercial. And there were just some amazing folks there who were super welcoming and kind and awesome, specifically, Jake McGee and Hannah Schell, who are cyclists in town.
Chelsea Sodaro:And I came home from that shoot, and I was like, Steve, what do you think about Boulder? And we called our realtor who is Sarah Pianpiano, former pro triathlete, on a Wednesday. He flew here on Thursday, and we were in contract on our house on Saturday. I moved here without ever seeing our house, actually, which is a little crazy. It all worked out.
Chelsea Sodaro:This is you know, it's like the mecca of endurance sports, and I came and trained here in the summer of 2020 one right after we'd had our daughter, and I loved it. I just felt, like, immediately embraced by the community and thought it was awesome. Like, the riding and running is so accessible. There's a 1,000,000,000 pools here, and I think it took a little while for Steve to get sold on the idea. We also, like, have friends here outside of the sport.
Chelsea Sodaro:So not so much, like, you know, always obsessing over triathlon, opportunities to train with people who are better than me and then also have friends who don't wanna talk about swimming, biking, and running.
Justin Metzler:Absolutely. Yeah. I mean, this place kind of does capture your imagination. It's just a very cool place. I mean, that's when I came here 10 years ago, it was like, oh, yeah.
Justin Metzler:This just feels right. It makes sense here. You know? Yeah. So was the I guess, a follow-up question to that was the decision to move here and maybe I I know the answer to this already because you just answered it a little bit.
Justin Metzler:Was it really was it performance based in, in majority, or was it lifestyle based in majority?
Chelsea Sodaro:Honestly, both. I knew that I could train successfully here and really be surrounded by a community that is interested and conducive to high performance. But, you know, we do obviously think a lot about our family life and, you know, where we want to raise our daughter. And the schools here are amazing, and we knew that our family would be really happy here whether or not I was racing or not.
Justin Metzler:Yeah. Totally. 100%. You mentioned the team, that surrounds you now. Steve, obviously being a big part of that.
Justin Metzler:Talk to me a little bit more about the team as a whole. You said you've paired it back a little bit and kind of, like, decreased the the amount of people maybe involved. Who are sort of, like, the key players, and what role do they play? And then, additionally, what are you doing? Because you mentioned having more access to greater resources now having been a world champion.
Justin Metzler:How much of that are you taking on board, and how much of it are you just going back to what you know works for yourself?
Chelsea Sodaro:Yeah. So kind of the core team of people that I work with, is Neil Henderson. He is based here a cochair based in Boulder. He has had incredible success both in triathlon and then also in time trialing. He's coached world champions in time trialing.
Chelsea Sodaro:He's coached our records. He has an a brilliant mind, but is also a very kind human, which has been a great balance for me. I have a lot of trust and belief in the training and his approach to racing and and cycling specifically. But, also, he he's has a lot of empathy. And whenever I mentioned to somebody that I'm working with Neil Henderson, they just say, I love Neil.
Chelsea Sodaro:He's so awesome. And it's been a great fit, a great change. It became very clear when I started working with him that I was super tired and I had been very tired for a very long time. And I guess, you know, the initial work we did was really helping me, you know, reset and get my energy back. And, with that comes more motivation and excitement to train.
Chelsea Sodaro:And I had come to a point where, like, I was sort of just going through the day it felt like sort of day to day drudgery, and now I, like, can't wait to get on my bike. And I think that's because of his approach and the way he frames training and holds me back, isn't always, like, pushing me over the edge, and has instilled a lot of, like, confidence. I think we forget sometimes as endurance athletes that, we're professionals because we do have some level of talent, and we always, like, wanna outwork everybody. But sometimes we just need to rely a little bit on our talent and our natural gifts, and, you know, we work hard. Of course, working hard is, like, the point like, the the point of entry, but we need to remember that we're actually pretty good at what we do, and that's why we're here.
Chelsea Sodaro:So he's helped me remember that, which has been fun.
Justin Metzler:Was there a process of unraveling that you guys had to go through at the onset of your relationship, or was it just a simple like, a few simple tweaks? Or was there kind of this big, yeah, sort of undoing process?
Chelsea Sodaro:Well, when I first met with him and, you know, was thinking of making a change, I said, you know, what do you think about what do you think of, like, what I'm doing here? And he said, I think you're doing a really good job of making yourself very tired, not necessarily doing things that are helping you get a lot better. And so my prescription of training is much different now than I had spent for the last few years, and he's often reminding me that the lower end of the range is still a successful day, or make sure you hold your hold yourself back here or stop one interval short or you come out of the session feeling like you could do more, but don't actually do more. And I think we need more coaches like that in long distance triathlon. Yeah.
Chelsea Sodaro:Like, especially when you are in this game for a long time, you know, you accumulate a body of work, and you don't always need to be outdoing yourself or one upping yourself, which is what I I think I've been doing for the last year is, like, racing a previous version of myself in training. And sometimes I just need to, like, stay the course and believe in our abilities and, of course, like, tick the boxes of the sessions, but not constantly, like, try to exceed the demands of, you know, racing.
Justin Metzler:Yeah. Absolutely. Are there elements because you obviously were so successful building up to 2022, even the early portions of 2024 and throughout 2023. Are there elements that you and Neil are extracting from previous training plans and applying to what you're doing now? Or is it just a completely fresh look?
Chelsea Sodaro:Yeah. I mean, I don't think the training needs to be that complicated. Like, at the end of the day, it's swimming, biking, and running and we need to, like, add certain stimulus to get a physiological response. What is different now is that I have more built in rest, and I have, built in rest weeks, which is something that I hadn't been doing before I had gone to this place where I felt like, I'm not training at least 20 hours a week, then I'm not being successful, and I'm not working hard enough. And it's difficult to, you know, absorb the training when you're not when you're not kind of property properly periodizing the work.
Justin Metzler:Yeah. Absolutely. And I think it also doesn't free you up to really have your mind on or body on anything other than just simply swim, bike, run, gym every single day, week on week on week. What are you doing to what are you doing with that extra time now or that extra bandwidth or that extra energy?
Chelsea Sodaro:Yeah. Well, I hadn't realized, like, how grumpy I was getting. Like, my fuse was definitely shorter than it should have been, and I just felt chronically tired. I think when we are training so much for so long without properly resting, it just the exhaustion becomes normal. And so it's taken me in a little while to realize that that wasn't normal and that I do have capacity for more.
Chelsea Sodaro:And it's less about, like, adding more onto my plate and more about enjoying the day to day of what I already have on my plate and just being more present with my family. And, like, I think about bedtime with my daughter. Right? Like, when you are fried from training, it's kind of it can be kind of a drag.
Justin Metzler:Yeah.
Chelsea Sodaro:And when you're, like, having to fight your kid to, like, brush her teeth and, read the bedtime books. But now I just notice how much more present I am with her, like, telling you know, I'm like I tell her these stories at night, and now instead of, like, just trying to get her to go to sleep as fast as I can, you know, I'm, like, really there with her. Or, like, even on, you know, our drives to school in the morning, I can tell the way I'm interacting with her is, you know, more calm and peaceful and thoughtful. And, you know, at the end of the day, being a good mom is way more important to me than being a good triathlete. I think there's room for both, though, with the right approach.
Chelsea Sodaro:I think, you know, it's such a tricky thing for me because I have spoken a lot about, you know, my motherhood and the challenges and the great parts about it. And I do get some criticism for that, which is fine. Like, I'm not for everybody, but I almost got a little self conscious about, like, you know, rubbing people the wrong way or people being, like, turned off by the mom thing. And it's been really great to work with Neil because he's very considerate of my family life. And his approach is not like, if you don't do this, then you can't be successful.
Chelsea Sodaro:It's like, here are the, you know, demands of your life and the things that are important to your life, and we're gonna create a program that works with that. Rather than, like, constantly making me choose between, like, you know, the training or the commitment or being perfect and, you know, my execution and being present with my kid.
Justin Metzler:Yeah. Absolutely. I I have a question. I definitely wanna transition a little bit more into your overall mindset and how you kinda operate on a day to day. But following up on that question or, you know, the the the point that you made there about being sort of vocal about motherhood or other stances in endurance sports, why do you feel as though, like, you're the one to stand up for those things?
Justin Metzler:Do you feel like that's part of your personality? Do you get a laugh out of it, kind of like getting a bit of a stir on social media with people going at each other? Or do you feel like if you don't stand up for the point, then no one's gonna stand up for it?
Chelsea Sodaro:I feel like I feel, like, I feel that the Kona win, you know, was obviously a great moment for me personally, but it is, you know, borrowed title. And, of course, you know, I've only had it for 1 year. I hope to have it again. But I wanted to seize that moment, and I feel a sense of personal responsibility to leave the sport and, you know, the world, better than I found it. And that's not because I think I'm, like, I'm special or, better than anybody else.
Chelsea Sodaro:I just, like, know the struggles of choosing motherhood with a difficult career and what that looks like when you don't have a lot of support. And I I don't want my kid to have to, like, decide between her work and her family. Like, I don't want her to have to think about whether or not her workplace or her sponsors, if she chooses a a job like mine, like, to think if they're gonna pay her while she's pregnant or, you know, to have to feel like she needs to start training when her kid is 20 days old because she doesn't have maternity protection. And it's very uncomfortable to make change, and, people will people are people are, uncomfortable when they are confronted with, you know, a different stat or something different than the status quo. And and so now, like, when I'm criticized, I just I think it's I try to think of it more as a reflection of other people, like, maybe not understanding or, you know, feeling like they like things the way they are because they think it doesn't affect them.
Chelsea Sodaro:But, we all have mothers, and, you know, these issues are things that affect us all. And I really believe, especially as female athletes, like, we're best in our mid to late thirties when we have this body of work and all of these miles under our belt. And if we can stay in the game long enough, then we can actually see how good we can be. And we shouldn't have to, you know, figure out in our mid forties if we're even able to have families anymore. So, yeah, I think, like, honestly, what I'm most proud of in this whole thing is is, like, the change that has been made.
Chelsea Sodaro:And I think that things are better now for athletes choosing motherhood than they were when I was, you know, 4 years ago.
Justin Metzler:Yeah. Absolutely. I mean, if if nothing changes, nothing changes, then somebody has to fill that role. And I think if you have, you know, the platform to do so, it's, you know, it's really commendable because there are have there has been many champions before you who haven't said, anything. And, like, we've seen that the the environment just kind of stays stagnant unless you have a game changer.
Justin Metzler:You know?
Chelsea Sodaro:Yeah. And, also, like, at the end of the day, right, it's swimming, biking, and running. And, like, it's really cool to be Ironman world champion, but I think in 20 1 20 years from now or whatever, like, no one's really gonna care that I won Kona. But people will care that they have maternity protection or that, like, they can defer race because they're pregnant and not lose a ton of money or that they have, like, lactation stations at start lines. Like, they'll care about those things.
Chelsea Sodaro:Yeah.
Justin Metzler:How much of your current mission statement is standing up for those things, versus maybe other aspects?
Chelsea Sodaro:Yeah. I mean, I have to be, like, really careful about my energy and what I can handle. I think I poured a lot of myself into those, you know, causes last year, and that certainly took a toll. And so I'm trying to be a little more deliberate about, you know, when I speak out and, yeah, when I, like, champion those things and also making sure that it's effective when I do. Right?
Chelsea Sodaro:Like, if I'm just preaching from the mountain tops about, like, the causes I care about and people aren't taking them in, like, it's not doing anybody any good. You know, I've also been, like, pretty vocal about some of my, like, mental health challenges, but those are closely tied, to maternity protection. Like, when we don't have the right support, that leads to, indirectly or directly to, like, mental health issues. And so I feel really passionate about both of those causes and how they're intertwined. And, you know, as athletes, I just don't think that there's enough support or, like, enough transparency when it comes to mental health struggles because it really, you know, affects us all.
Chelsea Sodaro:And I think the less stigma there is and the more we can talk openly about it, the more likely it is that people will seek help.
Justin Metzler:Yeah. And I think, like, in a world where it's maybe becoming a little bit more acceptable, like, that's definitely positive. And I think athletes like yourself, and I know Jeanne and I really struggled with our approach because she had, some struggles herself with mental health and how we were gonna navigate that in a space where in professional sport, every year is finite. Everyone's imagination is or, like, memory is very short, in terms of race results or what have you done for me lately. And I think just, it's important to have athletes like yourself, athletes like Genie, you know, saying that it is a part of the world.
Justin Metzler:It doesn't it's not excluded from professional sport, and we might put on this, like, bravado or whatever ego as big, professional athletes, but it is a a real issue that I think is great to talk about and important for people like you to stand up for.
Chelsea Sodaro:Totally. And in this era of social media and the marketing world and in which we live in, a lot of people have mental health struggles, and a lot of people get pregnant and have babies. And they wanna see themselves and their sports heroes. They wanna be like their sports heroes. They wanna buy the products that their sports heroes are wearing and using.
Chelsea Sodaro:And I think that, you know, if some of these companies take a hard look at who is selling product, they'd realize that it's oftentimes, you know, the athletes, the influencers that are being most authentic and honest about the things that they're going through. I mean, like, I think moms in the US, you know, are the community that have the greatest purchasing power. So not only is it the right thing to do to support, you know, athletes and public figures who are going through these things, it's, like, financially the best course. And similarly to, you know, mental health, like, some of our greatest sports icons, Michael Phelps, Simone Biles, have been very vocal about their struggles. And I think, honestly, it makes them more approachable and shows their humanity.
Chelsea Sodaro:And, like, consumers really dig that.
Justin Metzler:Yeah. No. A 100%. I feel like, yeah, that vulnerability is a massive asset to any brand out there. How much are you involved in sort of, like, your paying attention to what's going on maybe on social media?
Justin Metzler:Because social media is such a big part of a professional athlete's brand. All of the companies that we work with want a piece of you on social media. Are you tapped in on that, seeing all the replies, seeing the positive comments, seeing the negativity, or you just sort of, like, hands off, hey, guys. Here's what I wanna do. Make it happen.
Chelsea Sodaro:It's such a tricky one. I read way less comments than I used to. Yeah. I read way less comments. I think we have to be very careful about who we allow to speak into our lives.
Chelsea Sodaro:And when I really think about, like, whose opinion I I actually care about and I actually wanna take on. Right? It's a very small group of people, and those are people that know what's going on in my life and in my day to day. And so I think, yeah, I try to focus less on, consuming those inputs, like, both positive and negative. There's this, oh my gosh.
Chelsea Sodaro:I'm gonna forget her name right now. There's this woman on the women's national team. She is, like, one of the superstar forwards. I forget her name. She went to Stanford, and she's young and, likewise, beyond her beyond her years.
Chelsea Sodaro:And she says she really tries not to take in the negative or the positive because in, like, both scenarios, people don't know what you're going through, and and that really resonated with me. I think, like, you know, we love to read, like, the nice things about ourselves online because it feeds into our egos. But, like, ultimately, it's not really it's not really real. People don't really know what you're going through. So that's been my take, and I I, like, hand my social media off a few weeks before race day to try to, like, really focus on myself and and my own process.
Chelsea Sodaro:But it can be fun, and it's a great way to connect with people. And I try to put, like, positive things out into the world.
Justin Metzler:Yeah. That's huge. I feel like we could talk about this stuff for forever, but I wanna talk a little bit more about, like, bring it back to to the now and maybe where your motivation is lying on the race course. So where does it lie now? Is it in getting back to a place where you're winning another world title?
Justin Metzler:Is it getting back to a place where you're just performing at a lifetime best level in terms of maybe your numbers or your output? Where is it lying these days?
Chelsea Sodaro:Yeah. I still don't feel like I've reached my best across swim, bike, or run, and I'm striving for, you know, the day when I hit it out of the park. I am so excited about the people I'm working with now, and I think what's been so cool is to see how cohesively, you know, the members of my close team are working together, which is which is new. And I just feel that the best is ahead of me, and, like, the most fun I'm gonna have in my career is ahead of me. And I I do have a lot of confidence in my ability and what's possible, and I really feel like my best performance is gonna take care of the results.
Justin Metzler:Have you found yourself comparing your current version to a previous version and trying to work back towards that, or do you feel like you're beyond where you've ever been before?
Chelsea Sodaro:No. I think I'm beyond where I've ever been before. I don't know that that's really come out on the race course. I actually feel that Taupo was a super solid day. Maybe a career day is, like, a bit of a stretch, but it was so early in the year that I don't think it got much attention.
Chelsea Sodaro:But it showed me that I'm, you know, at the level. I am seeing things in training where I'm excited about what's possible. Our sport is evolving, and everyone's having to up their game, but I think that's taken us all to a new level. And I'm super competitive. I love to win and beat people.
Chelsea Sodaro:And I think when I'm able to get to a starting line, you know, really healthy and 90 to 95% fit, then magical things are possible.
Justin Metzler:Yep. You mentioned in 2022 that immediately at the finish line, people are interviewing you about having another child or getting to the next race. Are you able to actually appreciate victory now or appreciate getting onto a podium, or is coming 3rd and knees immediately onto the next thing?
Chelsea Sodaro:I'm ever able to appreciate it a lot more now. I work with David Spindler, who is a neuroscientist, sports psychologist, and he has been such an amazing gift, and really, like, a highlight of this year. But when I won Taupo earlier this season, I got on the phone with him, and he wanted to hear how the race went. And then he goes, for the next 3 days, I just want you to soak it in and not think about the next thing. And we're always so eager to move on and be excited and think like, well, what can I do now?
Chelsea Sodaro:And in the grand scheme of life, like, these careers are short, and the moments are finite. And I think, actually, like, soaking in a little bit is really good for recovery and for longevity. And so, yeah, I'm trying to or I think I'm doing a better job of enjoying the moments and the victories and the small things.
Justin Metzler:It's so hard. I mean, for all of us, we're all just so wired. I think our day to day is like, okay. What's the next session? What's tomorrow look like?
Justin Metzler:And so to take that moment to appreciate a job well done, even if you don't perceive it as, like, your absolute best, I think is super important. Yeah. Absolutely. I think, you know, we talked around your family a little bit. We've talked a little, you know, a little bit around Skye and how much how important she is to your life and obviously, like, a massive part of it.
Justin Metzler:Like, how much does Skyler understand what you do?
Chelsea Sodaro:I mean, I think she's starting to understand a little bit more. It's so funny to see, you know, when you become a parent or at least for me, I thought, you know, I'm gonna, like, mold this little human being and it's gonna be so amazing. And they come out and they're, like, their own person with their own personality and their own ideas. And there's so much genetics involved there. So it's been fun to see her, like, personality blossom.
Chelsea Sodaro:She is really competitive. She's 3, and she's, you know, full on, and there's, like, some negotiating happening. She's got lots of opinions. But if we want her to get to do her to do something, we say, I'll race you there.
Justin Metzler:Perfect.
Chelsea Sodaro:And she's all in. So I don't know. I think, you know, she knows that mommy runs and swims and bikes a lot. We try to include her in the day to day of my process, and one of our favorite things to do is I put her on the top tube of an e bike. Nice.
Chelsea Sodaro:Don't send CPS to my house.
Justin Metzler:I
Chelsea Sodaro:put her on the top through the e bike, and we cruise around the Lobo. And we go see the horses, and she loves to see where they've left horse poop on the trail. And so we go she we, like, cruise the horse, and she goes, horses, you need to stop pooping on the trail. Just stop pooping on the road. She gives them a little lecture, and then we cruise home.
Chelsea Sodaro:And it's great.
Justin Metzler:Oh, perfect. That's so good. What does your day in the life look like now as a mother and professional athlete maybe compared to when you were professionally running or just getting into triathlon?
Chelsea Sodaro:Dude, there was, like, way more Netflix when I was, not a mom. Definitely when I was a runner. Right? Like, they train 12 hours a week, and it's a big group. Can you imagine how much free time
Justin Metzler:you have? That all the time.
Chelsea Sodaro:Yeah. So my yeah. My day in the life, you know, as a triathlete, it's ever evolving and every day is different. But, the mornings for us are, like, you know, the whole ring of a roll of getting ready her ready for school. She starts school, so we get ready for school.
Chelsea Sodaro:And, I try to drive her to school as much as I can so we get that time together, and then I'll go to a swim session. I have been doing a lot of swimming with Julie Dibbons. Sometimes I swim with your crew, which has been really great. And then I have some lunch, and it's off to, like, the next session. Sometimes, you know, an interval bike session that's 2 or 3 hours, and then either a shakeout run-in the evening or maybe a little session on the run off the bike.
Chelsea Sodaro:I work really closely with Matt Pandola, who's my strength coach, and we meet 2 or 3 times a week, usually in the evenings. And then it's dinner time and bedtime, and we do it all over again. I think yeah. It's really full, and sort of busy, but I wouldn't trade it.
Justin Metzler:Yeah. I mean, you can just tell, like, you walking through that day, like, you know, you're lighting up talking about a day like that, and that's just your normal daily routine. And I think just as a person, if you can be excited about your day to day, that's kind of the most important thing. And I don't know if any of us are getting as excited to just, like, go home and watch 5 hours of Netflix. You know?
Justin Metzler:Maybe it's, like, one good show. You know?
Chelsea Sodaro:I know. There's less TV time in our house. It's more like Bluey or Coco or something.
Justin Metzler:Yeah. What's, like, one very normal thing you guys do as a family and maybe one thing that's, like, very sport specific or, like, a triathlete family type thing?
Chelsea Sodaro:Something normal that we do. We're so like, we're so normal and boring. We're, like, really big on the family dinners. We're, like, really into group hugs. It's so corny Skye.
Chelsea Sodaro:Like, if Steve and I are hugging in the kitchen, Skye will, like, push our way in and insist on a group hug. We have play dates with her friends. It's, like, pretty it's pretty chill. She just got a Bluey toy set, so that's sick. She's she's kinda she has a lot of opinions, like I said.
Chelsea Sodaro:So she makes us, like, pretend to be the different characters. And Bluey is an Australian, show, so I will, like, practice my Australian accent. Yeah. And then something, I guess, triath triathlete center that we we have a little pump truck by our house.
Justin Metzler:Cool. Yeah.
Chelsea Sodaro:Yeah. So we shred that.
Justin Metzler:Nice.
Chelsea Sodaro:Yeah. So she will take her Strider down there and rip, and then sometime we'll just, like, put her on the kid's red shotgun. But that's, like, just another day in Boulder. You know? Like It's true.
Chelsea Sodaro:Yeah. A dime a dozen here in Boulder.
Justin Metzler:Everyone's got their kid. Like, they're, like, infants strapped to the mom's jazz, rubbing down a single track or whatever.
Chelsea Sodaro:Like, oh,
Justin Metzler:it's yeah. It's a very unique place. But that is I think that's an athlete specific thing. You can lump yourself into all the other professional athletes that live here. Totally.
Justin Metzler:Cool. So, yeah, couple more questions before we get into the rapid fire to to finish up the podcast here. What is the next big goal?
Chelsea Sodaro:Kona 2025. Yeah. I live for Kona. I it's like Christmas to me. I think I'll probably go to the Big Island a couple times before race day.
Chelsea Sodaro:So I'm already planning my first camp for next year, and I get off the plane there. And I feel like I'm at home, and it just makes me so excited.
Justin Metzler:Yep. How much is the t 100 gonna play into your goals versus just being totally laser focused on Kona?
Chelsea Sodaro:The hard hitting questions.
Justin Metzler:Was that the hardest hitting question? I think so.
Chelsea Sodaro:Kona will be my focus next year.
Justin Metzler:Yep. Yep. It'll be very interesting to see which athletes go which direction. I think everyone's in a very learning curve state.
Chelsea Sodaro:Yeah. I think I think no one really knew how this year would go. And maybe, like, some of the organizations didn't know how this year would go, and we're seeing what's successful and what's not and what's conducive to sort of long term performance. I really value, my autonomy and getting to race where I race and when I wanna race there. So I think I'll be, like, really looking for that sort of approach next season as I build towards Kona, like, for better or for worse.
Chelsea Sodaro:You know, like, in big sports, there's one day that matters. Yeah. And you gotta show up on that day as the best version of yourself, and I'll be doing, you know, whatever I can to do that.
Justin Metzler:Is there ever a world where you go to Kona 2025, you win, and then you go back to ITU and go for LA?
Chelsea Sodaro:Okay. So I, have some, like, crazy I I have a lot of crazy ideas. Like, I'm gonna speak it out to the universe. The other day, I texted Steve, and I was like, Steve, I think that I wanna start a production company. And I don't wanna do it right now, but, like, I just wanna put it out into the universe to you via text message right now for, like, a few years down the road, you know, when I'm pursuing my next big thing.
Chelsea Sodaro:And, like, I just want you to think about it. So I have these, like, crazy ideas. All I'm a big ideas person. I'm not practical. I'm not risk averse, which can be problematic sometime.
Chelsea Sodaro:But I come up with crazy ideas. Like, I wanna do Cape Epic sometime.
Justin Metzler:Nice. Yeah. Totally.
Chelsea Sodaro:He tells me I'm not allowed to change sports again. And if I have
Justin Metzler:to change sports to do Cape Epic. You can
Chelsea Sodaro:just do it. Yeah. Exactly. But, like, he says if I change sports again, then my family will not be there when we're involved.
Justin Metzler:Oh, yeah. So you're traveling well, ITU is still triathlon.
Chelsea Sodaro:I think he feels like it's a different sport. So I don't know. Like, I'd have to win really big.
Justin Metzler:Yeah. So you weren't, like, motivated by going again 27 or something? To Like, if you went there and you won big let's say, for example, you won big in 25. Yeah. Could you be just, like, done?
Chelsea Sodaro:Oh, man. I don't know. It's it's crazy because winning is intoxicating. Yeah. And you just think that, like, you just wanna do it again.
Chelsea Sodaro:Yeah. So I don't know when the time will be that, you know, I'm ready to move on. I think I get so nervous for races still and so excited. And I think when that isn't there anymore, then it would probably be time. But and I think when I don't feel like my best is ahead of me, I don't I don't imagine that I will, like I'm not gonna race forever.
Chelsea Sodaro:You know? Like, I am a perfectionist, and when I do something, I wanna do it really well. And I wanna feel like I can always be getting better. And I think when I when I feel my best is not ahead of me, then it'll be time for something else.
Justin Metzler:So the LA is a maybe. A hard maybe.
Chelsea Sodaro:I had Nib, in the pool the other day trying to convince me that I should do LA. You're really not even Taylor. And then another unnamed athlete told me that Taylor shouldn't be try shouldn't be trying to recruit old athletes Ouch. Which I kind of took offense to. I was like, speak for yourself, girlfriend.
Justin Metzler:Yeah. People are starting to call me old, and I'm 31. I don't know. Like, somehow Yeah. Yeah.
Justin Metzler:I don't know. It's crazy.
Chelsea Sodaro:You're a baby.
Justin Metzler:Alright. Cool. I'll take that. Alright. I've really enjoyed this.
Justin Metzler:This is so good. I always finish up the podcast with some rapid fire questions. I've got 6.
Chelsea Sodaro:Okay. Let's do it.
Justin Metzler:Alright. Biggest rival on the race course?
Chelsea Sodaro:Myself.
Justin Metzler:Oh, that's a good one. Favorite ride in Boulder so far?
Chelsea Sodaro:Saint Vrain, peak to peak. Is that right? Ward, left hand.
Justin Metzler:I did that yesterday.
Chelsea Sodaro:Yeah. It's still good. Right now with the leaves too.
Justin Metzler:Oh, yeah. You go brainer a little bit. It's good to go. What's one thing that Skyler does every day that makes you smile?
Chelsea Sodaro:Oh, so many things. That's tough. She's really into twirling. Twirling?
Justin Metzler:Nice. Very cool. What's the ideal time of day to start a key workout?
Chelsea Sodaro:8 AM.
Justin Metzler:Yeah. Agreed. Most influential person in your endurance sport career?
Chelsea Sodaro:Magdalena Bouley. She's an Olympic marathoner. She was, one of my coaches at Cal, coached me professionally, and, yeah, has just spoken so much positivity in my life. She said to me when I was 18, she said, you will be your best in your mid thirties. You just need to find a way to stay in this game long enough.
Justin Metzler:Well, here you go. Here you are.
Chelsea Sodaro:Here we are.
Justin Metzler:Alright. Last one. One mantra or piece of advice you go back to or tell yourself frequently?
Chelsea Sodaro:Yes. Yes. Yes.
Justin Metzler:There we go. Alright. That's all I've got. Thank you so much, Chelsea.
Chelsea Sodaro:Thank you so much for having me. And thank you for welcoming me to Boulder. I think this town can sometimes feel a little, you know, I feel like a little clicky, but you have welcomed me with open arms, and it meant a lot.
Justin Metzler:Oh, you know what? Anyone who wants to come here, you just let me know. Hang out with Chelsea and I. We'll see you in the next episode. Peace.
