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Claire Smith - Ultra endurance athlete - Only person in the UK to finish a continuous Double Deca


Renata Chlumska  - Adventure athlete who became the first Swedish and Czech woman to climb Mount Everest and in 2005 did a circumnavigate of the lower 48 States of the United States by her own power.

Claire in her own words:

“I have always been a highly motivated person, but when I was younger, I was highly motivated to self destruct!

Over the last ten years, I have learnt how to use my drive, ambition and general craziness for a better purpose. I completed my first marathon, Ironman and then Double Ironman... Many more ultra triathlons followed and also, Brutal Events was born.

I will be honest and admit I have struggled with addiction (and the depression and self-esteem issues that come with it), but almost eight years ago, I finally turned my life around and have not looked back since. Of all my achievements, this is what I am most proud of, but it’s the one I don’t speak about. Well, until now…

I often get asked why I do the ultra endurance stuff, and I guess I love the fact that you can do anything if you train well and really want it.

In other news, I am a mum of two children (that aren’t kids anymore), a graphic/website designer, a writer, and I also run Brutal Events - brutalevents.co.uk"

  • Content Warning - I’ve marked the episode as explicit as we do talk about weight and disordered eating. We don’t go into specifics but it is mentioned.

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Listen to Claire Now!

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Show notes

  • Who Claire is in her own words

  • Setting up her business Brutal Events

  • Writing and publishing books

  • Moving back to Bournemouth from Hereford

  • Getting a bit more rebellious

  • Doing her own thing at school

  • Starting to run at 20

  • Challenges she faced as a single parent

  • Completing her first half marathon

  • Meeting her husband

  • Having no idea what Ironman is but wanting to participate

  • Not having a bike and being unable to swim

  • Splitting up with her husband

  • Getting a tattoo

  • Keeping friends with her ex-husband

  • Completing the Double Ironman

  • How important is it for her to complete the Ironman

  • Her Double Ironman finishing experience

  • Not working with coaches

  • How she balances training with two kids

  • Managing the pain from her ongoing injuries

  • Having Hyperlordosis

  • Focusing on her routines and plans

  • Things that help her manage her pain

  • Feeling like giving up

  • How and why did she keep going

  • Training for the Arch to Arc Triathlon

  • How she feels about the challenge

  • Being on the right track after 13 years

  • Struggling with panic attacks

  • Managing her stress and anxiety

  • What causes her panic attacks in the water and swimming through it

  • How much does it cost her to do this challenge

  • A big bag of crisps and Netflix

  • Being addicted to sugar

  • Having to eat more than she wants to gain weight

  • Needing to step away from junk food and eat better food

  • Struggling with an eating disorder and monitoring herself against it

  • Writing her book, Becoming Brutal

  • Getting into more detail about Brutal Events

  • Doing the Snowdonia marathon

  • Where does "brutal" come from

  • Final words of advice

 

Social Media

Instagram: @brutalclaire

Facebook: @brutalclaire

 

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