From exhausted mother of two to triathlete who trains in a war zone and competes around the world, Juliya Azzopardi Mazur credits sport with enabling her to confront her daily stressors with positivity.

As a kid, I had a medical exemption from PE due to chronic anemia and stomach issues. Up to the age of 28, I didn’t do anything athletic except go to the gym occasionally.

Then one day, in 2016, I saw an advertisement on Facebook for a fun run. I signed up and had so much fun with a group of “nonrunners.” Afterward, I started training two or three times a week at the Olympic National Sports Complex in Kyiv. Slowly, I fell in love with running, even though it was hard for me.

Eventually, I hired a coach and set a goal of running a 10-K in three months’ time. I’d go to a track twice a week in the evening, dragging my kids with me (my youngest was 4). They’d play with toys while I ran.

The group I was running with at that time were also triathletes. I wondered how it was possible for them to train so much yet feel so good.

Then I got my first injury and was only allowed to swim. So, as with running, I found a coach and joined a group of swimmers. Swimming one lap felt like a never-ending marathon at first.

But by that point, all I was missing was a bike. After a few months of swimming, I bought my first bicycle and learned how to cycle. I spent nearly a year doing all three disciplines before I attempted my first sprint triathlon race.

Once I completed the first one, I started doing them one after another. I saw that people of different ages, shapes, and professions could do triathlon.

Already, I was dreaming of attempting a 70.3 distance (half-Ironman) one day. I went for it and completed my first 70.3 a few months after beginning my triathlon career.

Triathlon transformed everything. I became a new person: I gave up bad habits. I’ve also become a better mother. As a full-time athlete, I understand that it’s not about the amount of time you give to your children, but the quality of it.

I’ve been coaching myself for the past two years and training twice a day in Ukraine. Living in a country during a war, training helps with stress—it’s like medicine to me. You can distract your mind from everything happening around you.

Abigail Cuffey is the Executive Editor of Women’s Health. Abigail has more than 10 years of experience writing and editing for national women’s publications, and more than 12 years of experience working in the health and medical journalism field.