In this episode, host Matt Lieto sits down with 2024 Pro Series winner Kat Matthews and IRONMAN World Champion Chelsea Sodaro, who each share powerful stories of overcoming adversity to make it to the Kona start line.

First, Kat Matthews opens up about the immense psychological challenges she faced in her last Kona appearance. She reveals that she was dealing with hidden "post traumatic stress" from her near-fatal accident, which led to irrational fear and ultimately contributed to her race-day struggles. Now, having worked through that trauma, she returns to the island feeling happy, confident, and prepared. With her training numbers better than ever, Kat is motivated by the rising level of competition and is unequivocally here with one goal in mind: to win.

Next, Chelsea Sodaro discusses her "really crazy year" of setbacks, including catching "every preschool virus one can get" from her daughter and suffering a torn calf. These challenges forced her to make a gritty, late-season trip to IRONMAN Kalmar in Sweden to validate her spot, an experience she describes as incredibly difficult. Despite the lack of consistency in her preparation, Chelsea reflects on her identity as a gritty, determined athlete who always gives everything on race day, and she is ready to do the same on the island that "makes me feel alive."