We talk about goals, failing it and nailing it, with two very ordinary busy working mums, Sophie Gasson and Katy O'Connor. Sophie was on the podcast in 2021 after attempting to swim the channel. While Katy is a 3 time long-distance triathlon finisher. She took up triathlon in her 50s, after she was hooked in following an opportunity to volunteer at Ironman UK. She's also had brain surgery twice and is passionate about living life with no regrets. Katy wasn't a swimmer, didn't have a bike and has spent the last ten years progressing through the distances but admits she often needs something scary to make her work hard!

You'll hear:

06:00 Interview with Sophie Gasson - channel swimmer at 54

31:00 Katy explains the seed that was planted after she experienced her first Ironman in 2011, working as a volunteer at Ironman UK. She went on to set herself a challenge for her 50th birthday, of a big swim, a big ride and a big run, despite not being able to swim front crawl or ride a bike.

36:00 She talks about her plan to start out with sprints, before stepping up to Olympic distance, then middle distance and then a full distance and her first Ironman at Bolton in 2018. "Ironman UK was the one that got me hooked and it gives me goosebumps thinking about it." And I always said if I finish Bolton, then I'm going to do Wales."

42:00 Katy says she entered Ironman Wales 2022 for her 60th birthday and was meticulous about her training and meeting the cut-off times.

43:00 Ironmind Sports Psychology programme "Ironmind." Katy talks about how beneficial this was to her.

45:00 Katy on the swim at Ironman Wales and how horrendous conditions at Long Course Weekend two months prior gave her the confidence to know she would be okay at Ironman Wales.

47:30 Learning to swim... Katy hadn't done front crawl before she was 50 and she talks through the process of having to learn to swim as an adult.

50:00 So interesting and so many people can relate 'I felt you had to be really fast to join a tri club.'

55:30 Why Katy did achieve her 'why' and why it was so important to her. "when you do achieve something like that it gives you the confidence to think 'what's next?'

59:30 The importance of saying YES to things to Katy. "I've had brain surgery twice." It was a case of "If the tumour is not removed, it will eventually kill you." After the second one when the operation had been a success it was like a new start. And every time when I have the choice of doing something I think 'what are you waiting for?'

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