Chelsea Sodaro Becomes First American to Win Ironman World Champs in 20 Years: 'My Mind is a Little Blown'

Mar. 15, 2025

Chelsea Sodaro ended America’s victory drought when she won the Ironman World Championship women’s race on Thursday.

The 33-year-old mom, who gave birth to daughter Skylar just 18 months prior, won the race with a time of 8 hours, 33 minutes, and 46 seconds in Kona.

Sodaro, who had never made it to Ironman World Championships until this year, toldNBC Sports, “My mind is a little bit blown right now,” after her win.

“This is the culmination of things being right in my life and having perspective. This is freakin' incredible, but the greatest gift at the end of the finish line is my little 18-month-old.”

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“I think it doesn’t really matter how big the race is. It’s pretty special to be here with the best family I could have asked for.”

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Earlier this summer, Sodaro spoke about what being a triathlete means to her, namely how she wants her accomplishments to inspire her daughter.

Sodaro told Traithlete.com, “I want [my daughter] to see what it looks like to pour yourself into your dreams, and that being passionate about your career and being a good mom are not mutually exclusive.”

Prior to competing in the championship round, Sodaro shared her feelings ahead of the race with social media followers. “Fit ✅ Healthy ✅ Excited to see what I can do out there,” she wrote.

“Training for Kona has been a total team effort,” Sodaro shared. “My dad has sagged almost every ride, my mom has looked after Skye so I could pour myself into training, and Steve is the most supportive husband and dad.”

source: people.com