A wife and mother whose life was going downhill when she was diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis - an inflammatory bowel disease. With an encyclopaedic knowledge of every public toilet, bush or tree to dive behind, and after numerous extreme dietary regimes, Caroline elected to have her large intestine removed, and to live with a permanent ileostomy.  The decision she made then, and those she’s made since, have brought her face-to-face with some tough obstacles and hard decisions to make. No-one truly realises their own resilience until they are put in difficult situations. Motivated to learn to swim by her children, her enthusiasm for triathlon was lit after meeting Ironman world champion, Chrissie Wellington. Caroline has turned her life around from being a self-confessed ‘couch potato’ to a tough ‘can do’ individual who competes in– Ironman triathlons.  Show notes What her childhood was like Hating running and hating sports at school Deciding to get fit  Becoming ill with Ulcerative Colitis The challenges of getting diagnosed while pregnant Making life changing decisions  Trying all the different lifestyle options and various diets The mental challenge of deciding to do the surgery The next steps after surgery Signing up to cycle London to Paris in 24hrs Why reaching Paris was a major milestone Falling back to her old couch potato ways Needing a new challenge  Deciding to face her fear of water and learning how to swim in 2014 Deciding to join her local tri club - North Devon Triathletes Swimming with a ileostomy Putting off the running Getting involved in park run Fuelling nutrition needs without a large intestine Making her own food bars The challenges of hydration Working with a coach to help with triathlons  Following a 6 day a week training program Her dream of being an ironman Getting cut on the bike  Learning from failure Blogging and social media Quick Fire Questions   Social Media Website www.ironostomy.co.uk Facebook -@Ironostomy  Twitter - @carolinebramwel   You can also listen to Chrissie on the Tough Girl Podcast - HERE