Meet Sophie

Sophie is making waves in the running world; a runner herself, an exercise physiologist, a running coach, and the host of the running podcast, The Stronger Stride, she also works at Pace Athletic and dedicates herself to advocating for running and wellness as a whole!

I recently had the pleasure of being a guest on her podcast, and she graciously returned the favour by appearing on mine (might be launching soon 👀). Sophie's passion for running is evident, but her desire to make a positive impact on her sport, advocating for its benefits and contributing to something larger than herself is what I admire most! She is a living example of aligning daily actions with a higher purpose that is bigger than running. Though, in her own words, “None of us really know what we want to do, and I certainly haven't followed the traditional path. But I think what I'm drawn to is filling my day with what I enjoy... which more often than not involves running!”

When did you become aware of your sense of purpose?

Sophie's unrelenting alignment with her passion is so inspiring. Her earliest memory of immersing herself in the world of running dates back to her (self-proclaimed, overly competitive) days as a primary school runner. However, a pivotal moment occurred in year 10 when she participated in a 10k fun run every month of the year to raise money for charity. For a young Sophie, it started as the perfect excuse to attend various running events throughout the year, although, "That would be where things kicked off without fully knowing."

Unconsciously, Sophie was drawn to engaging with the community and using running as a platform for positive change. It was evidently a calling, that she didn't fully observe at the time!

Your biggest goal

While running goals and personal bests are certainly important, I was curious about Sophie's entrepreneurial aspirations. She shared; "If I can keep providing educational content to runners, that’d be brilliant. But having more in-person interaction in the form of running retreats, workshops, and other moments and experiences… I really value connection and human experiences. An all-encompassing experience in a cool place with great people would be really nice".

Count me in, Sophie! I'm so keen to see it come to fruition.

Drivers & Motivators

"Giving people a space where they feel really welcome and included" is central to Sophie's purpose. She recalled, "I didn't know where I belonged during high school... giving young people between the age of 14 and 18 a chance to find a sense of purpose through a sport like running would be epic."

Creating a space where people with a common interest can connect, educate each other, share memories and allowing that space to happen is Sophie’s fuel; it’s very evident to see!

Your proudest moment

While Sophie may not identify as an entrepreneur, I certainly see her as one – and a remarkable one at that! I wanted to delve into the creative endeavors she's most proud of. She admitted that she doesn't always reflect on such accomplishments, but a recent running fundamentals workshop she organised for 20 strangers stands out. It was her first foray into in-person events, and it sold out, leaving everyone with valuable knowledge and Sophie with a sense of fulfillment. It was also the first iteration of her ambition to transition into in-person experiences, which sounded hugely satisfying for both her and the participants!

Another source of pride is the continued success of hers & Lydia McKay’s podcast , The Stronger Stride, which is nearing its fourth anniversary. The consistency, community building, and opportunities it has generated for Sophie & Lydia are a testament to its impact on the Australian running community.

Your biggest challenge

Building a running community, establishing successful ventures like the podcast, and forging her own path haven't been without challenges. Sophie and her co-host, Lydia, both navigate the running world as females in a sport often dominated by men in leadership roles and at the forefront of races.

In the same breath, balancing multiple priorities, growing entrepreneurial ventures, scheduling, and ensuring basic needs are met as an entrepreneur can also be demanding. Sophie and I reflected on the tendency of Gen Z to expect rapid growth in audience, business, or wealth. We agreed on the importance of detaching from the numbers at times and focusing on the impact, even if it's on just one person.

Sophie humorously notes that a marketer might not be impressed with her’s and Lydia’s content output approach (I wholeheartedly disagree!), but letting go of perfectionism and creating content that feels authentic has been immensely rewarding for her.

Your Daily & Weekly habits

“It’s not a 5am Ice bath, followed by a sauna and a celery juice”. LOL - Sophie unintentionally throwing shade at many of the modern day influencers we’ve come to know and love ha!

Sophies schedule is random and always evolving! Every day she needs movement as a non negotiable. Whilst running 7 days a week is unrealistic, a swim or a paddle are brilliant alternatives! If she can learn something every day whether it be through a book or a podcast on her way to where-ever she’s going.

Connecting with people, including her partner, fellow runners, trainees, and customers, is another cornerstone of her day. It's a reminder to resist the pull of hustle culture and prioritize human connection. "I definitely notice the days I don't start with movement or feel connection with people around me," she observes. They are 3 pretty basic elements to a great day that I’m sure a lot of us don’t always observe!

Words of Wisdom

As someone who has taken enormous leaps to advocate for her sport, build her personal brand and grow her reach, her key advice is; “quit fast”. When you’re looking to pursue your passion, you can really waste time in environments that aren’t conducive to that. Hanging around for too long can be a waste of time but Sophie insists that if you can let go of what your resume must and should look like and know when it’s time to move forward, you can be very effective in pursuing purpose. I LOVE this advice! Find different people and communities, put yourself out there, and importantly, understanding that everyone has been in your shoes!

How can we support your cause?

Sophie’s Instagram

The Stronger Stride Podcast

Stronger Stride on Instagram