Claire in her own words:   “I have always been a highly motivated person, but when I was younger, I was highly motivated to self destruct!    Over the last ten years, I have learnt how to use my drive, ambition and general craziness for a better purpose. I completed my first marathon, Ironman and then Double Ironman... Many more ultra triathlons followed and also, Brutal Events was born.   I will be honest and admit I have struggled with addiction (and the depression and self-esteem issues that come with it), but almost eight years ago, I finally turned my life around and have not looked back since.  Of all my achievements, this is what I am most proud of, but it’s the one I don’t speak about. Well, until now…   I often get asked why I do the ultra endurance stuff, and I guess I love the fact that you can do anything if you train well and really want it.    In other news, I am a mum of two children (that aren’t kids anymore), a graphic/website designer, a writer, and I also run Brutal Events - brutalevents.co.uk"   Content Warning - I’ve marked the episode as explicit as we do talk about weight and disordered eating. We don’t go into specifics but it is mentioned.    New episodes of the Tough Girl Podcast go live every Tuesday at 7am UK time - Hit the subscribe button so you don’t miss out.    Support the mission to increase the amount of female role models in the media. Visit www.patreon.com/toughgirlpodcast and subscribe - super quick and easy to do and it makes a massive difference. Thank you.   Show Notes Who Claire is in her own words Setting up her business Brutal Events Writing and publishing books Moving back to Bournemouth from Hereford Getting a bit more rebellious Doing her own thing at school Starting to run at 20 Challenges she faced as a single parent Completing her first half marathon Meeting her husband Having no idea what Ironman is but wanting to participate Not having a bike and being unable to swim Splitting up with her husband Getting a tattoo Keeping friends with her ex-husband Completing the Double Ironman How important is it for her to complete the Ironman Her Double Ironman finishing experience Not working with coaches How she balances training with two kids Managing the pain from her ongoing injuries Having Hyperlordosis Focusing on her routines and plans Things that help her manage her pain Feeling like giving up How and why did she keep going Training for the Arch to Arc Triathlon How she feels about the challenge Being on the right track after 13 years Struggling with panic attacks Managing her stress and anxiety What causes her panic attacks in the water and swimming through it How much does it cost her to do this challenge A big bag of crisps and Netflix Being addicted to sugar Having to eat more than she wants to gain weight Needing to step away from junk food and eat better food Struggling with an eating disorder and monitoring herself against it Writing her book, Becoming Brutal Getting into more detail about Brutal Events Doing the Snowdonia marathon Where does "brutal" come from Final words of advice Social Media   Website: www.brutalclaire.co.uk    Instagram: @brutalclaire    Facebook: @brutalclaire   Book: Becoming Brutal