Karine Fragniere is a 52 year old Swiss mother of 4 who did her first Ironman triathlon at the age of 50. She then went on to win her age category in the Zurich Ironman and qualify to compete at the World Championships in Kona, Hawaii.
We chat about how to juggle motherhood and sport, ensuring the essential element of self care and making yourself a “more available mother” to your children. How to deal with mummy guilt, how exercise can help with your mental as well as physical health.
We talk about the importance of friendship and community, the benefits to children of growing up with a sporty mother and all about her new book, Ironmum.
She is now a coach, helping to spread the love of sport, health and wellbeing to other people.
You can find her book and more information on her coaching on www.ironmum.ch and follow her on Instagram on @ironmum.ch as well as on Facebook.
A really inspiring conversation that will motivate you to skip out the door for a swim, bike or run (or maybe all three!).
Transcript
Please note transcripts are generated by arifiical intelligence so may not be 100% accurate.
“SPEAKERS
Catie Friend and Karine Fragniere
Catie Friend 00:02
Hi, welcome to chatting to a friend. I'm Katie Friend. And in this podcast I'm chatting to incredible women about their life experiences and adventures, as well as their thoughts on friendship, community self care, setting boundaries, and how they keep healthy, happy unsane. Today I'm chatting to gain funnier getting is a 52 year old Swiss mother for I don't normally start by introducing my guests by their age, but in this case, it's particularly relevant because having been active and looked after her well being all her life, at the age of 50 gain stepped up a notch and took part in her very first Iron Man. And not only that, but she went on to win her age group in Zurich and qualified to compete at the mythical Ironman World Championships in Kona in Hawaii. And today, we're going to have a chat about that journey about wellbeing in general, and touching also on the age old question of looking after yourself and the mommy guilt that can come with that. Good morning, Karen. How are you today?
01:11
Good morning, Katie. I'm very good. How are you? Fine.
Catie Friend 01:14
Thank you so great of you to join me. I'm really really excited because I absolutely ripped through your book. Almost in one go. It was so exciting. Iron Man the name of your new book. Do you want to give us a quick rundown of what what it's about?
01:30
Yeah, I would love to so it's the it's basically my story of, of my quest for well being which started very, very young as a young girl, I would say. And well being basically really looking for my physical well being first and discovering that Endurance Sports make me really feel good. And not only make me feel good physically, but also mentally and make me be a better person. And this is really my my, my quest. This was my quest, and I discovered the endurance sport, but even triathlon was really the, the activity that I enjoyed the most. And the book is about that. It's about this quest, and it's about my Iron Man experience as a 16 year old mother of four children. So I participated in my very first Ironman when I was 50. And I went all the way to Hawaii, participating in the world championships. And yeah, that's about I hope I didn't say too much about it, that people still want to read it. But I think so.
Catie Friend 02:46
Yeah, no, that's amazing. And I have to tell you that I loved it for two reasons for actually for both, it's sort of a game of two halves the book, obviously, there's the story of getting to Hawaii and for those listeners who may not know understand triathlon, obviously a swim, bike run, but then the mega the biggest triathlon of all is, of course, the Iron Man, which is what 3.4 kilometres swim, is that right? Five
03:09
8.8
Catie Friend 03:10
Yeah, 180 kilometres of bike and full marathon. And it is the one of the reasons I loved the story and find it very emotional is because I'm married to an iron man, who I supported through Zurich, and Kona. And so I was living it almost with you, I knew I know the course not as an athlete, but as a as a full on supporter. And so I understand the similarities of your two experiences are quite incredible that you know, swimming, not being your favourite, being really disappointed when you can't wear your wetsuit because you lose that bit of buoyancy, just that all the sorts of things that I lived through with him. And I also loved Of course, the second part of it. Well, the running theme, obviously, but the the second half is all about the well being the physical well being, as you say, in the mental well being. And I just wanted to ask, how do you I know this is you've been doing this for a very, from a very young age. When I took up sports, I didn't take up sport till I was 38. properly. I mean, I skied and I rode horses, not to a very high standard of each. But when I took up sport, it wasn't actually my Iron Man husband that inspired me because it was quite it's quite intimidating to be around somebody who's at that level. How do you manage to inspire people? Like I was perhaps just coming out of early motherhood, because it was my best friend who suddenly decided to run a five key that inspired me. How do you how do you talk to women who are like me not sporty and want to get into it? Yeah, sure.
04:45
So my my personal personal experience with that was that I really took a chance from when they were babies were sleeping. And I had someone of course, looking after them. I would take 45 minutes for myself and go out and explore the the surroundings and I realised that then, little by little, I would put my sneakers on instead of just my shoes and then and then started to run. And that gave me such a boost. And made me I would say, really a more available mom, when I was coming home. I was, I was feeling healthy, I was speeding ahead, C boosted and I was feeling so strong. And maybe it was the connection with my own with my buddy that was that had happened also the connection to nature, the sun, and I was just so energised, that I felt like I was a I was a better person, and I was more available for my children. Because I know how extremely tiring It is to be 20 hours a day. Therefore, for your kids, I say 20 hours because you don't always get a full night's sleep. And I just this is was my This was my experience as a mother that it really gave me so much energy to be a better, not a better but to be more available and always there for a man who was there for her kids.
Catie Friend 06:22
That's amazing. I wish I honestly cannot tell you how much I wish I had known that when my kids were tiny. And I know you had twins first as well, which is extremely hard work from what I know. I see the thing is I used to look at mums that did stuff for themselves. And you know, with all hand on heart all honesty I used to I used to judge I used to think how can you need to be with your children all the time. And I really wish that I had known that. I've just had a question on Instagram actually from a friend of mine Saracens that, who is a phenomenal athlete in her own right. She has two young kids. And she says Did you or do you ever have the guilt? The Mummy guilt for taking the time to train and compete? And if so, how do you get over it? Or is it just not something you've ever had?
07:13
No, no, I have definitely I have felt guilty, being away from them. And, and taking care of myself. But then what happened was two things I realised that I was a better person or a better mom after than before. And that's the first thing and then the second thing that was that I realised that it's really it would be such a shame that while I'm taking time for myself, that I feel guilty and that I I waste this precious time this precious hour I took for myself. So you know it's not going to help my kids if I if I feel guilty about it. Because I'm not there anyway, so I better make the best of it and really, really enjoy it. And and that yeah. So Mike Sutton says it's not selfish to do what's best for you. And I feel like when you take care of yourself and you really yeah, you take responsibility tu tu tu tu to enjoy it at the max that the maximum you are then it's okay. It's it's what you it's what you should do that as a mother.
Catie Friend 08:31
I quite I agree. No, I definitely do because I spent four days walking literally just last week. And the first day and a half probably I was a bit twitchy not because I particularly missed them or because I I just you know, that sort of you're just used to being there. I'm used to being here all the time. And then I said to myself exactly that I thought why are you wasting this beautiful time on your own? Feeling bad feeling guilty, they're loved, they're looked after they're having quality time with their dad, and they're just, you know, I as you say will be a better mom more patient calmer, less anxiety filled when I get home with stories to tell.
09:13
Absolutely. It's I love it. And it's an it's it's really, it's really how also what also I thought that they are fine. And, and they are and it's great for them to have someone else look after them for once in a while. And for them, not only for us as moms but for them. It's also it's also a great opportunity to learn another mother more skills. And then finally also when they when you come back. It's also beautiful to see how you know to feel like they miss you. And this is a new reward. Also, not seeing that the others don't do the right doo doo doo did well, but you know, they miss us mothers so it's nice to see them realised, I
Catie Friend 10:00
also think, from my experience, I spent so much time feeling like I had to be there all the time. And only I could do everything but no, when I go, I see what a really lovely relationship they're building with their own routines with with my husband. You know, they they have a relation is really important that relationship they have with him, which perhaps they didn't have when they were younger, because I was very much the kind of mom that went, just, it's fine. I'll just, I'll just do it. You know, and that that I never really met perhaps gave the opportunity because it always I felt like I was the only person who could do it, I think is sometimes a downfall. Certainly for me, I was a full time mom. And I think that's, that can be a big downfall.
10:41
Yeah, I can totally relate to that. It's hard to let go in the beginning when when we know so much better than anyone else. Yeah,
Catie Friend 10:52
it is. And he you said, when I read that, when you had your twins, you were living in New York, and you were far from family did you have, you know, that's how I bring up my kids. We're living here in Switzerland, we don't have family around a boat. So for me, for my husband, our family, our community, our friends, our everything, it's so important, how important and how much has that played a part in your life, bringing up kids and achieving all the incredible sporting things that you've done?
11:22
Were very, very important. So as you said that I was not in at home, I was in New York. And luckily, I had two very, very good friends, I met two beautiful woman, women who became my I say, soul sisters who helped me throughout those, those nights when my husband was travelling, and they were they came to my place to help me take care of the babies in take take turns. So basically, I could sleep a little bit while while one one of my friends would look up to one baby, or put him back, put him up, put her back to sleep. So definitely, I mean, their presence was very precious. And then when I came back to Switzerland, after that, my mom and my dad were available, and they could really help me, especially during the afternoon nap. So I could ask one of them to come and look after the stay at home while I while I was going on by bike or, or swimming or running. So yeah, that was really very, very helpful.
Catie Friend 12:30
And talking of friends, I read in your book that you had, you had Susan, your swimming buddy, when you were training, how important because you know, again, referring to my own experience, I was not really sporty until after I had my kids and I realised that I had to if I didn't get up and do something, they would all be out cycling up calls and you know, doing adventures and I'd be on the couch. And so it was actually finding sporty friends which is not something I'd ever really had before that really pushed me inspired me and I try to make it a rule to not not say no to my sporty friends even when they are intimidatingly fast or fit because of how much you learn when you go out with people who know what they're doing. And how important were your sporty friendships during your sort of preparation? Well, it's not your life.
13:25
I would say for me, it's, I can motivate myself to do sports. So but I know I'm different from from, from many. So this is my self discipline. Which which makes me which allows me to be you know, to say okay, well Okay, now I have an hour and I'll go and but but talking about friends of course Susan was it she came at exactly the right moment where I wouldn't have I'm not sure if I would have believed I could do more than just an Olympic triathlon, which is the 1.5 kilometre swim plus 40 kilometres kilometres bike ride and then 10 kilometres run. I told that that's it, that's already a huge achievement. But Susan came there came at that moment where and she said, Oh, let's do a 17.3, which is the half Ironman distance, and I never, I don't know if without her I would have had to start and so she was basically the initiator for that and to believe that I could do more. And until we started to train together, because for me, it was really like a big big step. Yeah, it was a big step in my in my in my adventure, and a bit overwhelming, I would say and because she was just, oh, let's do it. I said, Okay, I'll follow. And so that was really that's what helped That's that that was the kickoff kickoff. And then we started, we met for the swim because we were both bad bad swimmers. Really, really, I mean, I said, Now, at hindsight, I know I was not a good swimmer. And it was such a motivation to meet two, two times a week, for an hour for 45 minutes at the pool, because we were both reading it so much. And, and even if we couldn't talk too much, you know, between maybe in between with a word or two and say, Okay, let's go again. And, but it was a huge, huge motivation to be to be with her in the pool, and as well as on the bike. And on the run there, we were more like we had to be to adapt to our kids to our children's schedule. So the bike we're sometimes on the weekend, we do, we would do a long bike ride together. And that was also very, very nice to share. Especially when I trained for my very first Ironman 70.3 The weather was extremely bad in Switzerland, it was, I mean, I think it was grey and raining the whole spring, during the whole March, April, May, even June, it was still cold. And that was quite imitation. So it was a long answer, sorry, but yeah, definitely importance of friends for to stay, to stay focused and to, to believe we can go We can do it, because sometimes one of one of the friends is more daring. And, and another is more has other qualities. So even more disciplined, or whatever, so we can really use each other's strengths.
Catie Friend 16:51
Absolutely. When I trained for the pathway, the last year, the PDG, my teammates, and I, you know, and I was not the fittest, and I was not the best skier, but I like the statistics, I knew when we should eat and when we should, you know, be drinking and, and I like the technical aspects of it. And so we found our rules, we had one who was you know, just got our head down and got on with it, the other one who would push us just that little bit further, and me looking after the sort of technical aspects, and it's although that's actual team event, it is so good to train with people who, you know, same goal but slightly different natural tendencies to to help out in that way.
17:34
Absolutely. Did you do did you do long run or that as well? No, I did. Amazing. I know.
Catie Friend 17:42
Thank you Well, from from not doing any sport till I was 38 to doing the PDG when I was 45 was a huge achievement. And because I am not someone who's naturally motivated to do sports still not even these days, even though I know how good it is for me, I have to give myself a good talking to but you talked about Susan coming along at the right time now. We met very briefly last week. And I heard you say a couple of times that you don't believe in coincidence. Can you tell me a little bit about that and how that fits in with what you said about Susan
18:18
Of course well in the reasons let's say Mohammed no I would say All my life I could find these these coincidences which are not for me coincidence, but definitely Susan or another one which was based which which is linked to my mother. She passed away just in 2017 while I was doing my errand man adventure, like, like, just do my idea was just to do one errand man to finish one Iron Man one one day, and my mother passed away just after my first trial, which I had to stop because I broke my foot during the race. And and then because I knew I was pretty good. I decided to sign up for another Ironman, but I didn't know which one I should choose. And and it was really I it was a complicated decision because I knew you know, I wanted to qualify for Hawaii and I had to find the race which would match my my you know, my strength I where I would be the strongest. And I didn't know I wish I hadn't heard you say I made an Excel sheet. I was putting the four or five different races which would be interesting. Like to to be possible. There was Zurich in Switzerland, there was Sweden, that was Copenhagen. And and then I didn't know I said okay, this is this, this race would be better. For because it's late, this other race would be better because it's flat, and so on and so on. And, and one day, just like, once after my mom passed away, I, I, all of a sudden I thought, oh, we're not what are the dates of the of the of Zurich? And I thought of doing then. And I saw that it was my mother's birthday. Yeah. And, and, and the birthday was the date was 29th of July. And I said, Okay, I knew, I mean, I could feel it in all my body. And I said, Okay, that's the one. And I immediately signed up for Zurich, knowing that I would I raised with the, with the right one for me. And just a few weeks after that, I really had a vision. And I had just spent a few minutes in the house of my parents were, which was, of course, empty. And, and I was on my bike and going down back home. I all of a sudden, an image came from nowhere, and but very, very clear. And the image was that I was on the podium, and I was on the first I was on the making for us in Zurich, and it was so strong that I am so clear that I said, Okay, she's there, and she, my mom is there, and she's gonna help me and she's she will help me do it tonight. And she did. So mainland Asia, right. Yeah.
Catie Friend 21:33
Amazing. And talking of which, you know, there's so much put in, in store, with visualisation, you know, and your why and why you do it. And when I was training for the PDG, and you know, was losing focus, and losing is hard. And I was trying to juggle kids and my husband was also training for the bdg. That image of me running across the line, I had no great designs on winning, obviously. But the image of me running across the line and verbiage with my teammates, and my kids was so insanely strong, that that's what I hung on to. And that is what I you know, someone said, just remember why you're doing it. And so I you know, that's when it was hard when it was cold. It was raining when I was on the bubble going up to maybe at six in the morning thinking what am I doing? I was just thinking, you know, when I was trying to do my sprints and going I know what to do the last one. And I would say you will never run across that line. If you do not do that final Hill interval. You know, how much is that mental. I mean, obviously, this was a revision and to do with, you know, coincidence is speaking, but how much of visualisation is important in what you do what you've done,
22:50
I think it's very important to, to have a dream and to and to do, as you said before, to visualise yourself, going past during the flow going to the finish line and, and, and feeling the whole your body and your whole your whole soul like totally filled with love with with joy and pride and everything, I think this is very important to, to, as you said before, to keep you motivated in very difficult training, in trainings, intervals, and so on to in bad weather, and so on and so on. And then, to me, it's also very, very important to stay always to the why, as you said, it's really the, the why, because I love it, I could not have done this without loving the sport I do and and this is really central for me, I wish I had sometimes to, to rethink about to rehabilitate to reconnect to the pleasure of, of sports, while I was training because sometimes those trainings was so difficult and, and at the boring because they would Yeah, because I would repeat the same or not exactly the same but over and over again the same effort. And I had to I realised I had to, often to reconnect to my why and especially to the to the client or to to the the enjoyable part of it. And it's really key when when you do when you do such a such an Indian sport or such long effort, which are sometimes as you said before, you have to do in in rain or in very cold conditions or or early morning when you're you feel like just going going back to sleep.
Catie Friend 24:53
And that feeling that when you get that one gets when you cross the line and You can look back and see that it wasn't just the race, but the entire journey that you've been on. I mean, it's, it's pretty indescribable. And it's, as I say, something I did not experience until far too late in life. And it makes you feel like the queen of the world. And so it should, because regardless of whether you were first or last, you still did it. And it's all the early mornings, it's the crying because you it was too hard, or you've hurt yourself, and you don't know if you can carry on training, it's all of that. And there's that magnificent feeling of well being. What I sometimes struggle with is to retain that after the initial excitement has worn off, or if I don't have a race specifically to train for, how do you I know, you said you're quite internally motivated, but how do you remind yourself of that incredible feeling?
25:59
It's a very good question, or do you have Well, for me, it's more because the every, as I said before, like I tried to enjoy, and I do enjoy every session. I always find in every single training session, like, the fun or the pleasure, or, yeah, the if it's not during, it's after. So at least Yeah, and I would say I find it often during because I, I look outside, I look outside, I look, you know, I look around me, and I'm like, wow, you know, how, how beautiful it is. I'm so lucky, I'm so grateful to live in this country, where in Switzerland where, you know, there are mountains, there's a lake and the sun is shining, or anything like or I often I when I'm on my bike, and it's a long set, it's a long session, and I'm on board because you know, I'm I've seen the nature and then you know, it doesn't, then I just often I, I start to feel grateful for the relationships I have. And you know, it's these long moments that you have by yourself, where you it's, to me, it's like, it's a bit like a meditation. And, and I, I usually see always the positive things in the world. And in my life, when I'm on my on my bike or when I'm running, even though I may be suffering on, you know, going up a hill or so. But then I you know, this adrenaline and this effort is, is helping me see really everything, like all the beautiful all the beautiful things in my life. So this is how I stay motivated. It's always it's very positive. In to do that, for me
Catie Friend 27:56
it is it is I was just thinking before you said meditation, it is like a meditation and movement is very often you just get into the sound of your own breath, or your feet on the trail or your pedals going round or in the winter, the skins on this Oh, yeah. And there's that sort of just allowing yourself as a little bit like letting go of the guilt just a little bit letting go of the Oh, this is too hard. And just going, Okay, just go just keep going. And then and breaking it down into smaller chunks. So it doesn't, or finding something technical to look at. I like looking at technical things like my watch my cadence or that you know, sort of thing. I'm talking about meditation, and yoga, and I know that something that you incorporate into your daily life, as should we all I try to as well. I'm always brilliant at it. Can you talk us through a little bit about that, but also, actually just talk us through a little bit about that first now I'll come to my second question afterwards.
28:58
Okay, yeah, I realised when I when I was preparing my very first Iron Man that the that I needed to incorporate yoga, I had already started I had already done some yoga, but then just at that moment, I had met a new yoga teacher who really made me enjoy yoga even more, especially because I could really through her explanations understand, you know, all these these you know, this muscle is doing this, oh, I feel this muscle now because I did that and so I really started to know my body even better, and I knew how to relax it and and relax the muscles and and heal them myself. And I realised that I needed that in order to recuperate from the long and hard training session. And then something else really, really helped me with she this teacher with all So make us do breathing exercises. And as I as I said before, I'm not the best swimmer and I was always struggling with the breathing or being out of breath and not enough air to keep on swimming and, and doing those breathing exercises really helped me trust my my lungs, knowing that I have enough hair, I can do that I can be under the water for a few seconds even because if someone you know, when you start in the swim in the lake, in a race you may have you may get hit, you may have punched also by others. And this was really for me a big big challenge and the breathing exercises helped me feel like safe and know that I can do it. Even if I'm I can read every three every five seconds. It's okay. So all these things and and, of course, I think them self confidence, knowing your body, knowing yourself through it through yoga, you know yourself so well that, especially when you stay in, in a posture for a certain time, which I do, it's the yoga I do is at practices that Hatha Yoga, you stay in this posture for for quite some time. It's sometimes very hard to let go and to, to totally let the muscle and then the whole nervous system really. And it's really again, in a moment in a race or in a moment during a very difficult effort that you can also you know, you can trust yourself. You can trust your buddy and you, you, you it's gonna work and it's great for the self confidence. In my eyes.
Catie Friend 31:54
I completely agree. I was at a daylong yoga festival in Verbeek last week. And I did a half a session which I have not done for a when we lived in London, I did have that and I loved it. And it as you say, taught me so much about breathing. It helped me when I was in labour both times. And I had sort of although I do meditation, and I've done yoga, since it had been a while since I had practised Hatha Yoga, and I just thought, Gosh, breathing is everything that breathing through the pain breathing through, you know, because as you say, you sit you stay in these positions for quite a long time. And it's painful, because you're stretching the fascia. And you're you have to, as you say, just let it go, breathe, breathe, and trust that what is happening is what's supposed to be happening. And it's so it's such a metaphor for sport for life for everything. And, and for dealing with children quite often.
32:56
weave in and out three times. Before you raise your voice
33:03
and
Catie Friend 33:04
I was wondering I had a couple of questions. Can you do have any examples of times when your sport and you're practising have this well being has maybe saved you as a bit of an exaggeration, but has helped you out of a dark place or a dark time?
33:22
No, no, I would say many times a negative again, go back to to my mom and I was really I would say when I was grieving her. I was going into depression it was January I was really down even though I had this goal of Zurich seven months later, but I I was down I just was crying a lot and I didn't really see the sense of Wait, why was I leaving? Why what you know really the purpose of life? I think I went running every day in winter and yeah, it gives me that that the good feeling that I needed just for every day. It was feeling good feeling feeling feeling alive. And it kept me on Yeah, above surface, let's say so definitely helped me a lot really sports is for me the way if I'm not well, I will go out and I will take an hour or two for myself and connect with myself connect with my buddy connect with nature connect with God. You know, whatever you believe that whatever you believe in, it's out there. And this is where I this is where I find it on him or her
Catie Friend 34:50
whatever the higher the source or the higher power whatever one chooses to believe in. I know you said obviously you find yourself a better mom and and so when you have Do you Think not just your your ability to be a better mom, but do you think your sporting abilities has helped them to be sort of more rounded human beings? It's easier to see when they're a little bit older, I guess.
35:14
Yeah. Inspiring for them to see their mom. Okay, they saw they, they participated in this Hawaii project. From the beginning, they, they thought in the beginning, while she's really bold, she was she's going for Hawaii and I'm not sure if everyone believed me. But then they saw how determined and how disciplined and how, what it what it what it did to me and that I could, so that this is definitely an inspiring mum of I think for them to see a mom who believes in her dreams and who goes for them. And, and again, I believe also that they saw how I was available. Even though I was tired that I was available for them. I was a good, let's say helper for their homework, you know and and so on and so on. And so it's I would say it was all positive for them. It was a positive experience from from A to Z and then we even went to Hawaii together so they so they show it all and I yeah, it is inspiring. It is definitely I saw in Jason who was that back then he was what 14 years old. I saw a shift. And even though I had not said much more than Jason stop being on your phone or stop playing computer all the time. Focus on your focus focus on his call. He knew that but I didn't want to fight about it so much. And I just said okay, it will happen and he it happened without me fighting more you know without me even saying anything anymore. And now he's really definitely he's doing great, it's cool and he found he found his passion, his own passion which is basketball. And he now ran with me and a 22 trail running into a mat and I couldn't believe my eyes how how fit he is and how fast he is. Fast he of course but on a 20 k it's not too bad for a 16 year old to be able to to run that pace. So it was it was and then it's something really above all it's to share this with my son and all my children to be able to share my passion of sports with my children and and run now for the first time with one of them a trail was absolutely beautiful.
Catie Friend 37:56
It is the dream both my husband my husband, I think actually you are a female version of my husband all the things you've said so so like him the Excel spreadsheets that which race would be the easiest to qualify and what would you know so funny, but he you know he grew up very sporty, whereas I didn't but I have just seen so many benefits of raising sporty children in a sporty family and in 2017 he and I ran of multistage ultra marathon together very different ends of the pack I may add but we still shared the experience together and we both came back saying how incredible it would be when the kids are big to be able to take them off to do something like that you know to go abroad or even you know here at home We're so lucky. And you know when I saw the pictures of you doing that with your son I was just thought oh I can't wait because mine is still a little bit young. But just amazing. Amazing Amazing.
38:57
And you know that I was supposed to do that we did last year this one this year was blessed with my 20 year old and with my boyfriend with my companion and while it was cancelled but now my my really my and I had already that vision let's talk about vision again is to do the long run the long path who is with blaze with the 20 year old and Jason as a three the three of our amazing and because Jason has has the technical and the Alpine Alpine know how more than the than the knee and my other son. He's a he's doing also something amazing with his dad. He's quite he wants to climb all the 4000 metre mountain in Switzerland. So it's a 48 of them before he's 20 years old. And wow already is already climbed. 27 or two 28 of them, and he's just turning 17 in a month. And so he's got the the knowledge, you know, the mountain knowledge. And when you need, as you know, you need that for us for a race like that. And so that's my vision,
Catie Friend 40:17
I think, I think your family and my family were separated at birth, my husband is on a mission to do exactly that. And he's trying to do it before he's 60. I suspect he'll manage it in the next few years, because I think he's at about 30, something like that. That's where he is today actually climbing this record. So that's incredible. It is the most extraordinary experience. And I mean, it was amazing enough for me to do it with two incredible girlfriends. I cannot imagine what it would be like to do it with your kids. It's just must be it would be very, very special.
40:47
Yeah. That's the vision.
Catie Friend 40:49
Yeah, that's incredible. Well, then it will happen. Yeah, if that's the vision. And a so thank you so much for joining me, I have I cannot tell you how much of an absolute joy has been chatting to you today. Tell us how we can get hold of your book iron mum?
41:07
Where can we? Where can we find you? It's not available in French in the library? Are you in the French part of Switzerland in any every Pio? It's also available in on my website, I run a new emma.ch and the English and German versions are there going to be available very soon, I will put it on my website to begin with rN mn.ch. And then it should be also available on them as a numeric so digital, that I will also mention on my website or under social media as soon as it's ready.
Catie Friend 41:54
Fabulous. And we can follow you on Instagram on iron mum.ch. Is that right?
41:59
That's correct. And also Facebook. I run them
Catie Friend 42:02
indeed Facebook and Instagram. And last question What is next? What's the apart from the pet toy, which is a couple of years away? What's the next
42:12
year I really have no plans now for next year. It's mostly now inspiring other people having the feedback from my readers and and who knows being able to accompany some of them in their own journey on their journey to well being sports to sports, in doing sports, triathlon, whatever, that's my
Catie Friend 42:38
because you are you're no coaching as well which
42:41
I am exactly I am and it's it's really beautiful. Now that's a new dimension that, you know, people readers come to me and say why I would love to you to help me. For example, the last one was the recent one was a woman who, who said, I would like you to come with me in the lake. And I would like you to swim with me because I'm afraid of swimming in the lake. And because I had this I was struggling myself. And I talked about it in the book and she she saw it in me that the potential of that I could really help her overcome her fears and of of the lake of not seeing what you what is under your feet. And yeah.
Catie Friend 43:29
Amazing. Well, Kane, thank you again, so much for your time. I'm so grateful. It has been an absolute pleasure. I loved love to the book. Again, I'll say it's iron mom, and you can find it on iron mom.ch and wish you all the best with your endeavours, I am very sure that our paths will cross again in the near future.
43:50
Merci beaucoup Katie, thank you so much for your interview and your time and I look forward to any anything. Show up. Thank you so much. Okay, take care. Thank you. Bye Bye.”