Maternity, burn-out and ultra-distance – Finding balance with Sandie Caminada

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Episode summary

In this episode, we delve into the world of Sandie Caminada. A former manager in a marketing and digital strategy consultancy in Paris, she radically transformed her life to make her passion for endurance her new profession. Between maternity, burn-out and monumental sporting challenges, she gives us a testimonial on the power of sport to rebuild identity.

From advice to the heights of endurance

A sportswoman at heart, Sandie explored many disciplines before finding her calling in endurance racing. After five years of rugby and a stint in enduro and bodybuilding, she has set herself a major challenge in 2019: triathlon.

At the time, however, she could neither swim nor really ride a bike. This “crazy challenge” will take her all the way to the finish line of anIronman in 2021. It was during this preparation that she fell in love with the freedom offered by long hours in the saddle.

Driven by a taste for challenge rather than a pure quest for chronometric performance, she switched to ultra-distance racing in 2022. She began with the Race Across France (RAF) in the 500 km format (which was actually 530 km), which she completed in 30 hours in one go, without sleeping. The fifth woman in the event, she discovered a feeling of total alignment: on her bike, she really felt she belonged.

Crossing the shadow: Maternity and burn-out

Despite her sporting success, Sandie faced a period of intense mental fragility. Reconciling a demanding career, a rich social life and around 15 hours of training a week led her to burn-out, accelerated by the arrival of her daughter. During a six-month break, sport became her main remedy.

To rebuild herself and her mental health, she set herself new goals, integrating her daughter into her daily practice:

• She trains with a Thule trailer behind her racing bike on the Longchamp oval, towing 25 kg to work on her power.
• She accepts that her fitness level is not the same as it was before her pregnancy, relying more on her mental strength.
• She delegates some of her on-call time to her partner or her family in Lozère for longer outings.
• She prioritizes the quality of her sessions to make the most of every moment spent away from her child.

Ireland, land of renewal

In July, Sandie takes part in the Poco Loco in Ireland, a 1,000 km journey that she sees as the “final touch” to her six months of hardship. It’s a grueling race, with torrential rain and fog so dense that visibility doesn’t exceed one meter. Between exhaustion, lack of food in isolated areas and the complex logistics of hotels booked at the last minute, she went through moments of deep doubt and tears.

And yet, the magic of the ultra works. She remembers the solidarity of the locals and those “spiritual” moments when the clouds seem to lift after she’s begged for help as she pedals. She finishes the race in three days, completing her personal challenge just in time to celebrate her daughter’s second birthday in Ireland.

New life, new mission

This experience was the final trigger for her professional reconversion. Now a state-qualified sports coach, she accompanies others in their own challenges. She would also like to specialize in sports coaching during pregnancy and the post-partum period, a field she feels is still too little explored in France.

For Sandie, the message to women is clear: don’t be afraid of changing your priorities. “Do what feels good,” she insists, insisting that ultra-distance can be done at your own pace, whether you sleep in a hotel or on the ground.

Follow Sandie

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/snd_cami/