“Trying to be the best mother possible without losing my identity. Hoping to inspire others to do the same.” This is how the British Sophie Power describes her Instagram account, ultramarathoner and, of course, mother.
His latest feat has been to finish the Ultra Trail del Mont-Blanc (UTMB), the 171 kilometer mountain ultramarathon and 10,000 meters of slopes that surround this mountain in the Alps. The harshness of the test meant that of the 267 participants, only 167 managed to reach the finish line and she also did it with an added bonus: she had to make stops to breastfeed her baby of only three months .
So did
The image of 26-year-old Sophie breastfeeding her baby and expressing milk at the first refreshment stop of the race speaks for itself of how hard it was for her to go 16 hours without her baby: “Oh my God! It was agony! Cormac eats normally every three hours but it took me 16 to get to Courmayeur! “ .
In order to fulfill the test, she breastfed little Cormac at the Chamonix starting line, where she was accompanied by her husband, John, and their eldest son Donnacha. But he had to travel 80 kilometers until he was able to meet them again, a moment that immortalized this photo from Strava (cyclists and runners training website) and which has received many support. The situation was repeated in the rest of the aid stations where he was able to stop.
A truly incredible image that tells a better story than we ever could – a story of motherhood, endurance and the strength of the human body. Captured by our photographer, @alexis_berg, during the 105 mile @utmbmontblanc race, British ultra runner Sophie Power breastfeeds her 3 month old baby, Cormac. @ultra_sophie we applaud you. We applaud your endurance, your courage and your defiance of those who told you you couldnt. Youre a true inspiration.
#utmb
Sophie, who started in this type of tests in 2009 and has participated with her husband in many stage races around the world, admits that she enjoyed the race, although she would not repeat the experience so few months after giving birth: ” Having to go so slowly to protect my body and to ensure that I could feed Cormac well, I enjoyed the scenery, talked to people and rested ”.
Even with all this, he finished the race in position 1,219 (out of a total of 1,778 participants), in a time of 43h: 33: 09 and at a pace of 3.9 km / h.
An example for new mothers
Sophie tells on her Instagram account that when she received the call from Strava to share her breastfeeding photo and the story behind it, she replied:
After the displays of support and solidarity that she has awakened in social networks, she admits feeling overwhelmed, because “this message is for all mothers, because we are all in this together.”
However, there are those who do not consider that it is an example for other mothers, as they criticize that it puts a race ahead of its baby by leaving it for so many hours and setting schedules to breastfeed every three hours when breastfeeding should be on demand.
A few days ago i had a call from @strava asking to share this picture and for the story behind it.
But this isnt a story about me. Its a story about the daily struggle of being a new Mum. A story about the need to nurture our babies the best we can. And the importance to prioritise our physical and mental health – to be ourselves as well as be a mother.
I have been overwhelmed by the positivity and supportive messages. They are for all mothers for we are all in this together #motherhood
Sophie assures that her suffering vanished when she crossed the finish line with her two children, among the spirits of the people. Along with the video of her arrival, she maintains that this is “why you have to keep going” despite having to stop to breastfeed.
Short version- finished 107 mile non stop run round Mont Blanc climbing 10,000m (aka UTMB) in 43.5 hrs whilst breast feeding my 3 month old baby.
The long version of how and why is to follow
Claim for pregnant athletes
Sophie, 26, decided to run, even though it was only three months since she had given birth, because she wanted to send a message to the ultra trail organization: ask that the regulations be changed to keep the square until the following year. women who become pregnant.
And he says it with knowledge of the facts, since in order to participate in the UTMB, candidates must accumulate at least 15 points that they will have achieved by finishing a maximum of three ultramarathons in the last 48 months.
There are more applicants than places, so these are covered by lottery. It was Power’s turn in 2014 when she was pregnant with her first child, Donnacha. Then he asked to reserve a place for the next edition and found no for an answer.
As she explains:
“They allow those who are injured to postpone participation, but not if you get pregnant because they say it is ‘by choice'”.
And it is not the only sports discipline where this type of discrimination occurs. The tennis player Serena Willians denounced that because she was a mother, she lost her position in the world rankings, since pregnancy is equated with injury.
But luckily these examples of elite athletes show us that you can be a mother and continue your sports career. So did Blanca Manchón, who lost all sponsorships when she became pregnant and has once again become world champion in Windsurfing.
Via | The vanguard
Photos | @Strava, @ultra_sophie
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