Canadian ultramarathoner stopped to breastfeed daughter and still won
Mothers know how to juggle tasks, but one mom showed how she can juggle the needs of her newborn — and win a race.
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Stephanie Case, 42, a Canadian who lives in Chamonix, France, entered the 100-km Ultra-Trail Snowdonia in Eryri National Park in Wales on May 17 with 'no expectations,' so when she won, it was 'a surprise,' she wrote on Instagram.
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The runner had her daughter just six months ago and is still breastfeeding.
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She also hadn't entered a race in three years due to 'recurrent miscarriages and IVF failures,' Case shared, but wanted it to serve as a 'warmup' to another event — next month's 165-km Hardrock Hundred Mile Endurance Run in Colorado.
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'My goals were to enjoy myself and make sure Pepper was fed at aid stations,' she continued.
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Case noted that she started in the 'last wave,' giving the leaders a 30-minute head start.
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'Sure, I had hundreds of runners in front of me, but I could go at my own pace in blissful ignorance of my placing,' the mom explained.
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A post shared by Stephanie Case (@theultrarunnergirl)
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Case described it like riding a bike, and said it was a reminder that she 'hadn't lost a thing' over the past three years of not racing.
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She said that her partner carried their baby to the 20-, 50- and 80-kilometre checkpoints and handed the little one over for a few minutes to feed before going back to running.
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Case told the outlet that she was more concerned with her fuel intake and feeding schedule than her race time.
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A post shared by Peignée Verticale (@peigneeverticale)
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