Super-mom (again) Mirinda Carfrae signs with Aqua Sphere
Three-time Kona champ and her husband Tim O'Donnell announce that they are expecting a second child on New Year's eve
Photo by:
Kevin Mackinnon
This weekend three-time Ironman champion Mirinda Carfrae and her husband, Tim O’Donnell (who was second in Kona last year), announced that they are expecting a second child either late this year or early next.
As a sign of just how popular Carfrae is in the triathlon community, that news didn’t affect an announcement today from Aqua Sphere, who have welcomed the Australian who now lives in Boulder, Colorado, as a “global brand ambassador.”
“I’m thrilled to be joining the Aqua Sphere team alongside my husband, Tim. I appreciate the long-term brand vision and I’m confident that Tim and I can make an immediate impact, especially as we embark on product designs heading into 2021,” said Carfrae. “Aqua Sphere has a significant global reach and their wide range of categories fit all our training and racing needs. The goggles fit great and have perfect clarity and I can’t wait to race in the gear once we start competitions again. Everyone we have worked with at Aqua Sphere shares an amazing passion for the brand and has welcomed us like family. And yes, the kid’s goggles are also Izzy approved.”
Related: The Rise of Triathlon’s Super Moms
Carfrae’s record at the Ironman World Championship is impressive. She finished second in her full-distance debut in 2009, won the race in 2010, 2013 and 2014, and took second again in 2011 and 2016, third in 2012 and fifth in 2018, a little over a year after the birth of daughter Izzy.
Renowned as one of the sport’s premier runners, Carfrae’s Kona marathon record of 2:50:26 in 2014 still stands. After the birth of Izzy’s younger sibling she’ll be gearing up for another appearance on the Big Island in 2021 at the age of 40.
Adding another child to their already-busy household isn’t reason for O’Donnell’s or Carfrae’s competition to celebrate. His runner-up finish in Kona last year made him one of just four athletes who have finished under the eight hours at the Ironman World Championship, and Carfrae has excelled since the birth of Izzy, too. After an impressive win at Ironman 70.3 Mont-Tremblant last year in which she dominated on the bike and run despite having had six stitches in her calf two days before the race, she talked about her new-found approach to the sport.
“Since I had Izzy I stress a lot less, I worry a lot less about the little things,” she said. “I just focus on the things that I can control. Having a toddler pulls me in a lot of different directions, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. I love having Izzy with me and I’m still racing very well and still loving racing, which is the main thing.”
