There was no one happier than Michelle Simmons‘ daughter to see her finish at the 7 km Possibly Annual Hawaiian Christmas Looong Distance Invitational Rough-H2O Swim on Kaimana Beach in Honolulu, Hawaii this year – or last year.

The triathlon and swimming coach knows first-hand how to navigate well through the ups and downs of life whether intentional or unanticipated.

The famed Ironman triathlete and cancer survivor who survived Hodgkin’s disease, a cancer of lymph tissue, at the age of 25 roars through life with energy, passion and a positive spirit.

“In 2009, I qualified for the Ironman World Championships in Kona, Hawaii, just 7 months after giving birth to my first child. I then went on to set a personal Ironman PR before celebrating my daughter’s first birthday.”

And she welcomes any conditions – the rougher, the better – when she hits the water. “I hope it is really windy. I hope the conditions are really choppy,” she said with a smile and all seriousness before her one of her Ironman triathlon events:

Follow MamaSimmons on her Twitter feed here.

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