Runner Breastfeeds and Pumps in a 103 Mile Race and the Photos Go Viral
by Sandee Gruner
Dec 06, 2018
It’s no surprise that moms are professional multitaskers. Sophie Power, a British ultrarunner and mother of two, gives us a glimpse into motherhood multitasking at its finest. In a recent photo taken 16 hours into the 103-mile Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc race in the Alps, Power is shown pumping breast milk and nursing her 3-month-old son, Cormac.
“My boobs were killing me,” she told HuffPost. Cormac, nurses every three hours, but she wasn’t able to see him for more than half a day until she reached Courmayeur, Italy. This was the longest mother and baby had been apart.
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“We had three goals for the race,” Power said. “The first was that I’d go out and have a good time in the mountains, take a little break and get back into what I love to do. The second was to reach Courmayeur. And the third was maybe, if possible, get to the end of the race, but we weren’t really focused on that.”
She hopes the photos inspire others to help moms who may need extra support like her husband, John Power, did for her. He met her at multiple aid stations with a breast pump and collected milk for Cormac. In preparation for the race, the couple introduced Cormac to formula. The formula would serve as a backup in case the pumping plans failed, and they decided she would end her race if anything went wrong. Thanks to all of the careful planning and teamwork, she finished the race in 43 hours and 33 minutes.
“It’s so real. It’s a juggle trying to do three things at once, 10 things at once, and it’s hard,” she said. “I hope the photo highlights that you don’t lose yourself when you become a mum. But I think there’s a lack of support for new mums who want to do something for themselves.”
See more photos and race details here.
Sandee Gruner
Sandee Gruner is a full-time working mom with a love for writing and communications. She resides in Southern California with her husband and two children, where she enjoys spending time with her family, exploring local attractions and volunteering.
