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Marjaana Rakai (@tiredmomruns) grew up in northern Finland, training to be an Olympic cross-country skier. Then she hurt her back, moved to Norway, met a Canadian on a ski exchange, and spent the next two decades raising three kids across four continents, with no village or extended family nearby and a husband who traveled the world for work.

Triathlon saved her. Literally.

In this episode of Strong Core, Iris sits down with Marjaana, Ironman World Championship qualifier, coach, expat mother of three, and COO of @Athletica.ai, for a conversation about what endurance sport gives you that nothing else does, and why mother-athletes keep coming back to the start line even when life makes it almost impossible.

They talk about the Olympic-distance triathlon in Rio, which reminded her she had forgotten how to have fun. About training for Ironman Worlds with her bike in the kitchen so she could ride six hours and still be present for her kids. About the moment she said no to Kona, and what her youngest son said when she came home, that she will never forget. About finding your tribe through bike rides instead of expat lunches. About perimenopause and the unexpected freedom of not recognizing your body anymore, and caring a lot less about what anyone thinks. About javelin throwing. About the 15-minute run between meetings, and why showing up small is an act of self-trust.

And about what her coach told her at kilometer 25 of the Ironman marathon — welcome the pain — and why she ran the last 17 kilometers faster than the first.

Marjaana's closing words to every mother who wants to start but is scared: Joy is right outside their steps.

If this conversation resonated, follow Strong Core and share it with another mother who needs to hear this.
Connect on Instagram at @iris_strongcore for more conversations on mental and physical strength in motherhood and sport.

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She didn’t start as an elite athlete.
She started as a mom, rebuilding her identity.

In this episode, Caitlin (@caitlin.thompson.tri) shares how losing one path led her to discover something deeper, a fire she couldn’t ignore. What began as a weight loss journey turned into a relentless pursuit of what she’s truly capable of.

We talk about the moment everything shifted, from simply wanting to finish to choosing to compete, and what it takes mentally to stay in the race when things start to fall apart.

This is a conversation about belief, identity, and the courage to go after more, even when you’re not sure you deserve it yet.

If you’ve ever felt the pull toward something bigger, this one will stay with you.

If this conversation resonated, follow Strong Core and share it with another mother who needs to hear this.
Connect on Instagram at @iris_strongcore for more conversations on mental and physical strength in motherhood and sport.