What does it actually mean to be a woman in endurance sports right now?
I’ve been thinking about this episode for more than a year, and I knew I didn’t want it to be another conversation focused only on the challenges women face. So I asked three incredible professional female endurance athletes the same four questions and their answers went in directions I think we all need to hear.
Because what our bodies can do is a whole lot more interesting than what they look like.
In this special episode of the Endurance Eats podcast, I’m bringing together three professional athletes from three different corners of endurance sport: Olympic marathoner Dakota Popane, 2022 IRONMAN World Champion Chelsea Sodaro, and professional gravel cyclist Cecile Lejeune.
We talk about what they love about being women in sport, how they wish we talked about female athletes differently, the conversations our sports still aren’t having enough, and what they want the next generation of girls and women to know about performance and body image.
We also get into the media’s fixation on female athletes’ bodies, the need for more women-specific sports research, motherhood and professional sport, athletic longevity, and why preserving the joy of sport matters.
These are three very different perspectives and that’s exactly what makes this conversation so good.
What You’ll Learn
Why getting beaten by a woman should never be treated as an insult and what that attitude says about the way we still view women’s performance
What Dakota, Chelsea, and Cecile genuinely love about being women in endurance sports
Why the conversation around female athletes needs to move beyond weight and appearance and toward performance, preparation, tactics, and mindset
What the coverage of the 2025 Tour de France Femmes revealed about the way we talk about women’s bodies in elite sport
Why women-specific research still has a long way to go and why better research matters for athletes at every level
How pregnancy, motherhood, sponsorships, and professional sport collide in ways we still aren’t talking about enough
Why longevity shouldn’t mean only staying physically healthy, it should include protecting your mental health and your joy in sport
What some of the best women in endurance sports want younger female athletes to understand about their bodies
Why helping the next generation develop a healthier relationship with food and body image starts with what we model for them
The reminder I hope every athlete takes from this episode: being strong, powerful, and capable matters so much more than chasing a certain appearance
Resources Mentioned
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This episode of Endurance Eats is brought to you by Alex Larson’s 1:1 Nutrition Coaching.
If you’ve ever wondered, Am I eating enough? Am I fueling this right? Why do I still feel tired? you’re not alone. Alex Larson Nutrition helps endurance athletes cut through the confusion and build a fueling plan that actually works for their training, lifestyle, and goals.
You can learn more at alexlarsonnutrition.com.
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