Former IRONMAN World Champion Chelsea Sodaro could be eyeing a post-triathlon career on the NFL sidelines.
The 35-year-old endurance star has already showcased her broadcast skills as a guest commentator on the PTO’s and IRONMAN’s live event coverage.
And she joked about the potential of becoming an NFL sideline reporter on the latest Triathlon Hour podcast.
“I had a blast”
Sodaro lent her dulcet tones to the broadcast coverage of the T100 series event in Las Vegas in October – earning rave reviews for her knowledge, personality and talent.
“It was fun in Las Vegas. I was there and thought I might as well be useful and Jan (Frodeno) was sitting that one out so they let me jump in and I had a lot of fun,” she admitted.
“You don’t realise how much you know until you talk about it in that sort of context. It was really cool to have that sort of experience on the other side of the playing field. I totally enjoyed it, it was really fun to do, I had a blast.”
She joined the commentary team with Jack Kelly and Rinny Carfrae for the PTO event. She also confirmed she’d love to spend some more time behind the microphone – should her racing schedule allow.
“I think if the timing is right I’d love to do some more commentary. It’s all about fitting it around my race schedule. I don’t think I’d be keen to travel much to commentate given my own professional goals for 2025.
“The IRONMAN broadcast studio is here in Boulder, Colorado, so it would be easy for me to do some there. I did 20 minutes for the Kona men’s race in 2024.
“If there are opportunities I will definitely go for it. I think it’s fun to experience different parts of our sport, and I got some great feedback after doing Vegas so that’s cool. I think people want hot takes and your opinion on what you see. It was a great introduction into doing that – but I think I’ve got a few more years before I make it a full-time gig.”
Coming soon to an NFL sideline?
Sodaro joked that her dream role post-triathlon would be as an NFL sideline reporter, admitting an appearance by current NFL journalist Erin Andrews on Kylie Kelce’s “Not Gonna Lie” podcast has fuelled her dream.
“If you could send that new CV over to the NFL or something, the NBA maybe. I am obsessed with Kylie Kelce’s (wife of former NFL star Jason Kelce) podcast. She is just a normal person and she’s hilarious. She just had Erin Andrews on, she’s like an NFL commentary person.
“Anyway, this is what I want to do, being an NFL commentator would be a reasonable pivot to maintain my lifestyle.”
Are we in a triathlon boom, or hurtling towards burnout? Laura Siddall on the growth of the sport
