IRONMAN Launches Brand-New Docuseries: AN IRON WILL

September 13, 2024

– Season 1 of ‘AN IRON WILL’ launches today with five episodes available to view now on the IRONMAN YouTube channel www.youtube.com/@ironmantriathlon, on Outside TV and DAZN

– As a prelude to the 2024 IRONMAN World Championship season, ‘AN IRON WILL’ follows five of the world’s best professional triathletes – Chelsea Sodaro (USA), Cameron Wurf (AUS), Daniela Ryf (CHE), Kat Matthews (GBR), and Sam Laidlow (FRA) – behind the scenes as they build towards the 2023 VinFast IRONMAN World Championship

TAMPA, Fla. (Sept. 13, 2024) /ENDURANCE SPORTSWIRE/ – IRONMAN has today launched AN IRON WILL™, a brand-new docuseries that delves deep into the mindset and drive of triathletes as they push themselves beyond comfort zones, pain thresholds, and mental barriers in pursuit of their chance to compete for IRONMAN World Championship^® glory. Season 1 of AN IRON WILL is available now, with all five episodes ready to view globally on the IRONMAN YouTube Channel at www.youtube.com/ironmantriathlon, on Outside TV and DAZN.

A curtain raiser to the 2024 IRONMAN World Championship season, Season 1 of AN IRON WILL gives viewers an exclusive glimpse into a diverse group of professional athletes as they attempt to qualify and prepare for the 2023 VinFast IRONMAN World Championship triathlon. The series culminates with the story of race day, where some will realise their world championship dreams, and others are left with unfinished business.

“AN IRON WILL Season 1 lifts the veil on the lives of some of the world’s best professional triathletes, providing an intimate look into their psyche, inviting viewers to learn what it takes to tread willingly to the very edge of perceived limits and push still further into the unknown,” said Julia Polloreno, Vice President, Content Production and Distribution at The IRONMAN Group. “With the 2024 VinFast IRONMAN World Championship season underway in a matter of days, we hope that viewers of AN IRON WILL are left feeling inspired, motivated and excited to watch more incredible storylines play out at the 2024 VinFast IRONMAN World Championship triathlons, starting with the women’s race day in Nice, France on September 22.”

Season 1 of AN IRON WILL features five episodes ranging from 30 minutes to one hour. Each episode focuses on one of the following athletes:

Episode 1 – Chelsea Sodaro (USA): Sodaro shocked the triathlon world by winning the 2022 VinFast IRONMAN World Championship triathlon on debut. It was the greatest sporting achievement of her life, yet Sodaro was met with some of her darkest days after her world title win. With raised expectations weighing heavily on her shoulders, Sodaro fights to remain all-in on defending her world title in 2023.

Episode 2 – Cameron Wurf (AUS): Wurf is the most versatile endurance athlete on the planet. After representing Australia as a rower at the 2004 Olympics, he shifted his athletic focus to professional cycling. He is also a four-time IRONMAN^® champion. Wurf’s main focus in triathlon is to have the day he knows he is capable of having at the IRONMAN World Championship triathlon and win the world title. Always a fan favorite, Wurf injects buzz into any race course with his charismatic personality, monster athleticism, and passion for top-level competition.

Episode 3 – Daniela Ryf (CHE): Known and revered as one of the world’s best triathletes of the modern era, Ryf has earned 10 IRONMAN World Titles (5 in the IRONMAN series and 5 in the IRONMAN^® 70.3^® series). After relinquishing the IRONMAN World Champion title to Sodaro in 2022, Ryf sets out in 2023 hungrier than ever to prove the crown belongs with her. An intensely private person, Ryf opens up about her pursuits outside of sport and what her future might bring. Ryf lives by a belief that “success does not mean winning everything, but making the best of every situation,” and some of her proudest results have come not from victory but from finding resilience and tenacity in the hardest moments.

Episode 4 – Kat Matthews (GBR): Matthews served in the British Army as a physical therapist while also climbing the ranks as a pro triathlete. She finished runner-up at the 2021 IRONMAN World Championship race, held in St. George, Utah (May 2022 due to the pandemic). Later that year, in the days before her highly anticipated debut in Kona at the 2022 VinFast IRONMAN World Championship triathlon, Matthews was struck by a car during a training ride in Texas and nearly lost her life. The road back to recovery is slow and winding, but she puts up a tenacious fight, thanks in part to her military mindset. Soulful, grateful, honest and unstoppable, Matthews is on a mission to realize her true potential in the lava fields of Kona.

Episode 5 – Sam Laidlow (FRA): When Laidlow crossed the finish line of the 2022 VinFast IRONMAN World Championship triathlon in second place, it was a lifechanging moment. But ever since that day, Laidlow has felt the staggering pressure of his Kona^® result, and faltered on the race course with injury and nutritional challenges. Still, there’s no denying that whenever Laidlow lines up on a start line, he is considered a strong race favorite. And with the 2023 VinFast IRONMAN World Championship men’s race taking place in the South of France where he grew up, Laidlow has a distinct edge. Hungry to prove he’s not a one-hit wonder, and with his aggressive style on-and-off the course, Laidlow is riveting to watch and one of the most dynamic personalities in endurance sport.

Season 2 of AN IRON WILL began production at the start of 2024 and follows both professional and age-group athletes as they journey towards the VinFast 2024 IRONMAN World Championship and VinFast IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship triathlons. The season also charts the inaugural IRONMAN Pro Series™ with new insights and behind-the-scenes footage. Further details and confirmation of athletes set to be featured will be announced at a later date.

AN IRON WILL docuseries is filmed and produced by the IRONMAN Productions^® team.

Athletes seeking their path to the 2025 VinFast IRONMAN World Championship and 2025 IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship races can visit www.ironman.com/races.

For more information about the 2024 VinFast IRONMAN World Championship triathlons please visit www.ironman.com/im-world-championship. To learn more about the IRONMAN and IRONMAN 70.3 brands and series of events, please visit  www.ironman.com. Media inquiries may be directed to press@ironman.com.

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About the IRONMAN World Championship

Since its inception in 1978 on the Island of O`ahu, the IRONMAN World Championship<sup>®</sup> triathlon has etched its name in history through stellar performances, inspirational participants and emotional memories. In 1981, the race moved from the tranquil shores of Waikīkī to the barren lava fields of Kona on the Island of Hawai`i. The most iconic one-day sporting event in the world is the culmination of 40 global IRONMAN^® events with over 94,000 athletes around the world striving for one of the coveted qualifying slots. The 2021 edition of the event took place in St. George, Utah in May 2022, becoming the first location to host the event outside of Hawai`i since its origins in 1978. After a two-year hiatus from Hawai`i due to COVID, the race returned to Kailua-Kona in 2022 and for the first time took place as a two-day event. The 2023 VinFast IRONMAN World Championship race continued with the two-day format but with two different host locations and dates (Nice, France in September and Kailua-Kona, Hawai`i in October), to allow for a dedicated world championship race for women and dedicated world championship race for men. The cumulative event hosted over 4,000 athletes embarking on a 140.6-mile journey that presents the ultimate test of body, mind, and spirit to earn the title of IRONMAN World Champion. In 2024, the women will rotate to Nice, France while the men return to Kailua-Kona, Hawai`i for their respective world championship host locations. For more information, visit www.ironman.com/im-world-championship.

About IRONMAN Pro Series

The IRONMAN Pro Series™ is a year-long performance-based world series that will see professional triathletes earn points at 20 select races in 19 locations globally to vie for the title of IRONMAN Pro Series Champion and a share of the lucrative USD $1.7 million year-end bonus prize pool. Athletes will also continue to battle for each individual event’s prize money equating to over USD $2.5 million and coveted world championship qualifying slots. The IRONMAN Pro Series will consist of six full-distance IRONMAN^® triathlons and 10 half-distance IRONMAN^® 70.3^® triathlons in addition to the split location women’s and men’s VinFast IRONMAN World Championship^® triathlons and two-day women’s and men’s VinFast IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship triathlons. Open to approximately 1,000 eligible professional triathletes worldwide, the IRONMAN Pro Series will usher in a new era of IRONMAN racing where Every Second Matters with every second behind the race winner equating to a point earned or lost. Incorporating iconic distances, challenging courses, and stunning destinations, every IRONMAN Pro Series race will be broadcast live and free to a global audience. An additional 18 events throughout 2024 will also offer IRONMAN and IRONMAN 70.3 professional racing and world championship qualifying opportunities, as well as over USD $1.6 million in prize money to create a total 2024 professional prize purse of nearly USD $6 million. For more information, visit proseries.ironman.com.

About The IRONMAN Group

The IRONMAN Group operates a global portfolio of events that includes the IRONMAN^® Triathlon Series, the IRONMAN^® 70.3^® Triathlon Series, 5150™ Triathlon Series, the Rock ‘n’ Roll^® Running Series, IRONKIDS^®, World Triathlon Championship Series, premier running events including the Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon™ and City2Surf^®, UTMB^® World Series trail-running events including the Canyons Endurance Runs™ by UTMB^®, Tarawera Ultra-Trail™ by UTMB^® and Ultra-Trail Australia™ by UTMB^®, Epic Series™ mountain bike races including the Absa Cape Epic^®, road cycling events, and other multisport races. The IRONMAN Group is the largest operator of mass participation sports in the world, providing participants the benefits of endurance sports through the company’s vast offerings. Catering to the full athlete experience, the company portfolio also includes FulGaz^® virtual cycling, the most realistic indoor riding experience connected fitness application aimed at preparing athletes for real-world events. Since the inception of the iconic IRONMAN^® brand and its first event in 1978, athletes have proven that ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE^® by crossing finish lines around the world. Beginning as a single race, The IRONMAN Group has grown to become a global sensation with hundreds of events across 55+ countries. The IRONMAN Group is owned by Advance, a private, family-owned business, and Orkila Capital, a growth equity firm focused on building great brands. For more information, visit www.ironman.com/about-ironman-group.

About Advance 

Advance is a private, family-held business that owns and invests in companies across media, entertainment, technology, communications, education and other promising growth sectors. Our mission is to build the value of our companies over the long-term by fostering growth and innovation. Advance’s portfolio includes Condé Nast, Advance Local, Stage Entertainment, The IRONMAN Group, American City Business Journals, Leaders Group, Turnitin, and Pop. Together these operating companies employ more than 14,000 people in 29 countries. Advance is also among the largest shareholders in Charter Communications, Warner Bros. Discovery and Reddit. For more information visit www.advance.com.