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In this episode of Strong Core, Rachel Kippenbrock (@rachelkipp), a mom of three training for three Ironman 70.3 races plus a major summer bike challenge, shares what it really looks like to pursue big athletic goals while raising a family.

Rachel talks about 4:30 AM workouts, feeling stretched thin, and the courage it takes to ask for help and set boundaries. This is a conversation about identity shifts, motivation versus habit, grief, growth, and the truth many women need to hear: you can have it all, just not all at once.

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.

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Meg (@dirito21) is a mom, ER vet, and pro triathlete, and she refuses to choose just one identity. In this episode, she shares what it looks like to hold all of it, the structure, the chaos, the discipline, and the grace. From losing herself in early motherhood to rebuilding a life that includes everything she loves, this conversation is about doing hard things without letting go of who you are.

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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Kerry Blackmer (@kl_blackmer) is a five-time full Ironman finisher and a mom. In this episode, she opens up about what it really takes to keep showing up — through injury, motherhood, and everything in between.

She started running marathons at 22 because someone told her she couldn't. She came to triathlon through friendship, trained through pregnancy, and never really stopped. Then one afternoon at her daughter's elementary school, racing a group of kids, her hamstring snapped off the bone. Just like that, the goal changed.

What happened next says everything about who Kerry is. She didn't spiral. She showed up to the gym, got stronger than ever, and found gratitude in a body that was healing. When she came back to the pool, she came back with the same quiet certainty she brings to everything, including the adaptive athletes she pushes across finish lines every single weekend.

We talk about training around a full life, what turning 50 quietly liberates, and why her daughter's handmade bracelet means more to her than any Ironman medal. And yes, we talk a little about guilt too, because what mother athlete doesn't?

Kerry is the Frederick County Chapter Leader for Athletes Serving Athletes (ASA) — a nonprofit that empowers people with limited mobility to train and race alongside volunteer runners. If you're in Frederick County, Maryland and want to get involved, the link is in the show notes.

"I have to remind myself that it's okay to be someone outside of being a mom. Being a mom is one part of me — it's not everything." — Kerry Blackmer

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.