1. What It Takes to Become an Ultrawoman: Claire Kunc’s Comeback from Stage 3 Prolapse Surgery

Send us Fan MailHost Kirsty Sheehan introduces a four-part Ultrawoman mini-series, featuring individual stories to show that women of different ages and abilities can conquer major challenges with motivation and dedication. In this episode, Claire Kunc—fourth female overall at UM Australia in just over 27 hours—shares how she began endurance sport three years ago after postnatal mental health struggles, and later discovered a stage 3 multi-organ pelvic floor prolapse causing significant problems while running. After trying physio and pessaries, she had prolapse surgery in September 2023, faced a demanding three-month recovery, then rapidly built fitness through marathons, 70.3s and Ironman before committing to Ultraman. She describes 3 a.m. training, heavy fueling demands, indoor Zwift rides up to nearly 10 hours, race challenges, the Ultra Tribe camaraderie, and her upcoming race plans.00:00 Ultrawoman Series Intro02:00 Meet Claire Kunc03:21 First Marathon and Symptoms04:18 Prolapse Diagnosis and Options06:04 Surgery Recovery Reality09:14 Return to Racing 10:27 Why Ultraman Australia11:54 Training Load and 3AM Starts13:32 Indoor Zwift Bike Strategy18:41 Race Weekend Expectations21:33 84K Finish Line High22:49 Family on Course23:09 Resilience to Finish24:46 Fueling Struggles26:46 Ultra Tribe Camaraderie28:38 Bespoke Coaching Approach30:31 Recovery With Kids31:36 Why Mothers Can Do It33:10 Running Through Postnatal Depression34:34 Periods and Pelvic Floor Reality38:41 What’s Next on the Calendar40:13 Training Negotiations at Home41:21 Final Thanks and Wrap