The Sonya Looney Show

Stacey Shand might be the most experienced ultra athlete on the planet. Not only has she ran over 100 marathons, but she has raced Ironman Triathlons, podiumed at Ultraman, Badwater... twice, won Double Ironman Triathlons and taken overall fastest times on running segments (faster than any man as well), raced a road bike for 508 miles straight at the Silver Stage 508, done races in the Arctic Circle, ran for 7 days through volcanoes in Costa Rica, and also the Marathon de Sables. I'm exhausted just beginning to discuss her race resume! Stacey aka Racey Stacey is a wealth of knowledge and shares her secrets of dealing with extremes, the importance of meticulous preparation, being a female in an ultra sport, and even talked about her shoes melting at the Badwater 135, arguably the toughest ultra-running event on the planet. Topics Discussed in the Podcast  going from non-athlete to ultra athlete how not to quit how to prepare dealing with extreme being a female in an ultra sport Badwater 135  Listen Now

What would you do if you went from being known as the energizer bunny to having declining health, so much so that you are diagnosed as terminally ill, idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension, heart failure, sleep apnea, lung failure, and blindness?  That was the reality for Kate McGoey-Smith.  It wasn't until she watched the popular documentary, Forks Over Knives that she realized there was another way out.  She attended a five-day intensive program at Dr. McDougall’s Health and Medical Center. 15 months later of a whole foods, plant-based diet, her vision was fully restored, she no longer needed a lung transplant, her heart failure was gone, and she only needed oxygen at night.  Passionate about her new lifestyle, Kate founded Forksmart.org where she offers coaching, consulting, and speaking.  With her background in social services and nursing, Kate is a really interesting person with compassionate insight.  I loved this episode because we talked about not only how she healed herself with a whole foods

Courtenay McFadden is a force to be reckoned with in the cyclocross world.  You may have seen her racing World Cups in Europe, on podiums at the biggest races in the United States, and also on the mountain bike.  Courtenay's success has had its share of setbacks and comebacks.  Many of us have had the experience of dealing with injuries that prevent us from riding, and it's always a challenge, both mentally and emotionally.  In Courtenay's case, she had hip surgeries in 21 months while trying to recover and get fit in time for the next race season.  Surgeries where she couldn't walk, let alone ride a bike for months.  In this episode, we talk about how she managed expectations, hope, dealt with disappointment, and also how to deal with the mental side of things when you're on the couch and you see all of your competition working hard.  We also talked about what it's like to race cyclocross and travel in Europe. This episode is especially great for anyone who has had an injury or is currently dealing with one.

Today's guests are highly experienced in both designing heat training protocols and racing in the heat themselves!  With me today is Luke Way and Stacey Shand.  Luke Way is a master bike fitter (he does all my fits), physiology enthusiast, and coach.  Luke performs the Balance Point Assessments you might have heard about in previous episodes which in my experience, is the most informative and modern assessment out there.  He is also a nationally recognized coach that has had the opportunity to work with the Canadian National Triathlon team.  His vast personal race resume is filled with mountain biking, triathlon, running, and skiing. Stacey Shand is a coach and one of the most incredible ultra athletes on the planet. We recorded an entire episode about her exploits around the globe that'll be coming out in a few weeks.  Stacey has finished the Badwater running race twice, has done Ultraman, Double Ironman Triathlons (Double Anvil), raced in the Arctic Circle, and the world's hardest 100 mile running races. S

This is a 2 part series on heat adaptation training.  I'm racing the Cape Epic in a few weeks and got a late entry.  The heat and the length are the two main challenges I hear with this race (and also staying healthy as with any foreign stage race).  I don't have enough time to change my training or even do a training camp somewhere, but I do have time to train for the heat.  Fortunately, one of the leading researchers in heat acclimation and acclimatization is actually on sabbatical in Kelowna this year.  His name is Dr. Stephen Cheung.  Dr. Cheung is not only a well of knowledge on the topic of environmental physiology, but he is an avid cyclist himself.  He is a professor at Brock University in the Department of Kinesiology.  He also is an author of the textbook Advanced Environmental Physiology and the books: Cutting-Edge Cycling, and Cycling Science.  If that doesn't keep him busy enough, he is the Sport Science & Training editor for www.pezcyclingnews.com. In this episode, you'll learn how motivati

Sometimes it's hard to have clarity around your vision or to take the big steps needed to create positive changes. There are many paths to success and I'm excited to introduce you to Andrew Sillitoe's 4 Keys. Andrew is a former professional roller hockey player turned speaker, author, and coach. His recent book, The 4 Keys is a powerful tool for implementing a unique system to be successful not only in your business, but in your relationships, your health, and in your mind. I love this episode because we discussed several ways to get unstuck, how to prioritize what's important, time management, taking person responsibility for your action, and the power of a vision board. Andrew believes in setting lofty goals so that you can take big leaps to improve who you are and what you are doing on the way to getting there.   Topics Discussed in the Podcast  Andrew's career path Passion vs obsession The 4 Keys to Success how to make time how to take responsibility for your actions the power of a vision board crus

This week's episode is podcast recess.  My husband, Matt Ewonus is back to co-host!  We wanted to discuss some topics that are on our minds a lot at our house.  We are both incredibly fortunate to be doing what we love for work and in our lives!  However, you can push the pendulum too far, even when you're passionate about what you're doing.  Last year, we both got really burnt-out and wanted to share the signs of burn-out and how to get better.  We also talk about new habits and goals we are setting for ourselves this year.  We talked about expectations and being happy with where you are now vs always chasing achievement in the future.  We also talked about what self-care habits we are doing more of this year and how we are ensuring that we actually do them.  This was a pretty vulnerable episode so I hope you enjoy it ! Topics Discussed in the Podcast  Dealing with burnout: signs of burnout and how to recover for burnout How to identify what really makes you happy Self-Care habits we are implementing Bal

Read and hear about Kate Courtney's 2018 World Championship Win and watch the full women's World Championship replay on Redbull.TV! Kate Courtney's mantra is "WORK HARD, DO WHAT YOU LOVE AND BELIEVE ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE." Many people are inspired by Kate's work ethic, positive attitude, and ability to perform consistently at the world's highest level in mountain biking. Coming up dominating the U23 category on the World Cup circuit, 2018 was her first year racing in the Elite XCO category. Kate was immediately racing in the top 10 with her sights set on the podium. She says persistence pays off and eventually, it will all come together. And come together it did on the most important day of the year, the World Championships. Kate was crowned World Champion at her very first Elite Worlds. One of the reasons I'm a huge fan of Kate is that she is humble, approachable, and down to earth. Her win inspired many, showing that if you put in the work, you can get to the top, even if you have never been there before.

Have you ever felt that positive momentum when you're on the right track or that something was meant to happen? This podcast episode with NYT best-selling author, speaker, and coach Christy Whitman goes deep into the 7 Universal Laws. You might be most familiar with the Law of Attraction where you manifest your energy to make something happen and then it does. focus what you want, feel what you want. Christy Whitman has appeared on "Today" as well as been featured in People, Woman's Day, and Seventeen Magazine. Christy's most recent book, Quantum Success is her roadmap to using the 7 Universal Laws and how to turn your vision into a reality. There's a lot of great insight in this book that we talk about in today's show. She has a formula for creating success as an "inside-out" approach through the thoughts we think, the energy we put out in the world, and the limits we set. Topics Discussed in the Podcast  The 7 Universal Laws How to create positive momentum The Three Questions to ask yourself Viewing

Nicolette Richer is making huge strides in the power of natural healing. She is an entrepreneur and owner of the delicious whole food, plant-based organic cafe franchise: The Green Moustache. She also is a TEDx speaker, author of her new book, Eat Real to Heal, host of the podcast Eat Real to Heal, and founder of Richer Health. She also also appeared on Dragon’s Den. Nicolette has used clean eating to personally help heal people with cancer, type 2 Diabetes, skin conditions, and more. Nicolette’s mission is to ensure that people know human health and environmental health are inextricably linked, and that we can cure our diseases through diet. Topics Discussed in the Podcast  What is Gerson Therapy? Are juice cleanses healthy? Juicing vs Smoothies Building Green Moustache Tips for balance in life, especially for entrepreneurs Her experience on Dragon’s Den How to get kids to eat a plant-based diet Hospitals and Vending Machines Importance of eating organic Must-take supplements for whole-foods plant-based di

Negotiation is a skill and something we can all practice.  I was never particularly interested in negotiation until my entire income became based on how well I could negotiate. The first year was intimidating and to be honest, I still get nervous. I wanted to know the rules and how the experts did it. I've read a few books on negotiation, but my favorite one is called Never Split the Difference.  The book is written by a brilliant man named Chris Voss. Chris Voss is the FBI’s former lead international kidnapping negotiator.  When he negotiated, peoples' lives were on the line.  In addition to being an author and former FBI negotiator, Chris regularly lectures on negotiation and is the CEO of Black Swan Group.  He has spoken at business schools across the country and has also been seen on ABC, CBS, CNN, Forbes and more.In his book, he wrote about anecdotes from his career, the tools he used in order to be successful and how it can be applied to any situation. There are some very direct and easy to implement st

Have you ever wondered if you could build muscle on a plant-based diet?  This week, I sat down with Derek Simnett to talk about his shift from being more of a skateboarder, runner type to calisthenics and going to the gym.  Not only does Derek have a perfectly chiseled, muscular physique and inspires others to be healthier, but he is also a certified nutritional practitioner. Derek's YouTube channel with almost a 250,000 subscribers is a great corner of the internet where you can learn workout tips, how to cook delicious plant-based meals, and see what he eats on a daily basis.  Derek also offers his own e-recipe book on his website.  Derek makes it easy to eat healthier and move your body. Topics Discussed in the Podcast  How Derek found a plant-based path what made Derek decide to focus on muscle and physique How Derek built his YouTube Channel Tips and Tricks with supplements, iron, protein, meal planning How many grams of protein Derek eats in a day  Listen Now     What Derek Eats to Stay Strong &

I recently asked people on Twitter what new habits they are trying to adopt. 95% of the responses had meditation as one of the habits.  I've read a lot of articles on how meditation physically changes the brain, how it's a gamechanger not only for performance, but simply for enjoying life and how consistency is important.  But I've struggled.  I'd do it for a week and then give up (and then beat myself up for it).  I'd find my way back to it, but I couldn't make the habit stick.  I tried to figure out why I was having trouble making meditation a regular part of my routine.  When I believe in the benefits of something, I just do it - like my plant-based diet, like my 14 year commitment to my career as a cyclist... so why couldn't I just DO meditation?  It's because I couldn't tell if it was working. I recently read the book, "Meditation for Fidgety Skeptics" by Jeff Warren and Dan Harris. By read, I mean listened.  Dan and Jeff both are narrating the book and Jeff even leads meditations in the audiobook.   Jef

When Kikkan Randall was 5 years old, she decided she was going to the Olympics for skiing.  Most 5 year olds have lofty and cute dreams that rarely come to fruition.  That wasn't the case for Kikkan.  Not only did she make it to her first Olympics for cross-country skiing at just 19 years old, but she has 5 Olympic Games under her belt.  Kikkan's house might tip over with all the medals as a 17x US National Champion, 16 podiums at World Cups, and to top it off - a shiny Olympic Gold medal that she won in Pyeongchang in 2018.  2 years before Pyeonchang, Kikkan gave birth to her son.  Truly, she is wonderwoman. Kikkan decided to retire after the 2018 Olympics and winter season.  She was on as major high until one night, she found a couple small lumps in her breast.  The doctors assured it was probably nothing, but Kikkan couldn't help be feel worried.  The doctor came out to talk to her after her mammogram and uttered that she had Stage 2 breast cancer. This podcast from start to finish is very powerful.  It's

Vanessa Van Edwards is one of my heroines.  She studies what makes people tick.  More specifically- the science of people.  Vanessa is a best selling author and behavioral investigator.  She creates compelling, super helpful, and instantly applicable advice on how to be successful in any social situation.  Vanessa has been featured on NPR, the Wall Street Journal, the Today Show and USA Today. She has written for CNN, Fast Company and Forbes and is a regular contributor to Entrepreneur magazine.  She also speaks across the globe to Fortune 500 companies. I discovered Vanessa from her book, Captivate.  As a professional people watcher, Vanessa created a guidebook on how to make great first impressions, how to have dazzling conversation, how to be likeable, creating social game plans, being able to read people and uncover hidden emotions, how to get the best from people and from yourself, how to speak so people will listen and so much more.  We barely scratched the surface of the massive value and gold mine of

You know that section of trail that you've never seen anyone ride?  That one spot where you wonder if it's even possible?  Jeff Lenosky, aka the Trail Boss is the guy to do it.  Jeff tackles the hardest seemingly "unrideable" trails, rides them, and documents it for his youtube channel.  And in case you aren't familiar with Jeff, he is a world-class freeride and trials mountain bike rider with three trials national titles under his belt and the world record for the bunny hop on a full-size mountain bike (45.5 inches).  He has been in the sport since the late 80s.  Not only is he one of the world's most skilled mountain bikers, he is also a dad to his 3 children.  He also performs shows for hundreds of kids all year long. In this episode, we talk about Jeff's evolution as a pro rider since the early nineties, how he has transitioned from trials to trail riding, why he decided to start a YouTube Channel, and some real life advice to help you improve your confidence and your riding. Topics Discussed in the Podc

Imagine dedicating everything to your dreams and you actually achieve them.  Professional BMX Athlete Josh Perry had this life experience.  From seeing the X Games on TV to one day competing in them, Josh's path to success was one full of hard work, dedication, and tenacity.  But at age 21, Josh went to the hospital after crashing on his head.  His MRI uncovered the unthinkable.  Brain tumors.  With his whole future and dream life in front of him, Josh was forced to wrestle with the emotions, depression, and challenges of his diagnaosis and he did so by sticking to riding his bike. Josh is the definition of resilience and positivity.  After surgically removing his tumors, more came back to take their place.  But after doing research, he discovered Gamma Knife Radiation and a radical lifestyle change to take back control of his life.  In this incredibly inspiring episode, you'll hear how BMX taught Josh to get back up and keep going, even with brain tumors, how he lives with uncertainty and squashes anxiety, h

Have you ever driven your car 184 mph? I haven't either.  Imagine... going 184 mph on a bicycle.  Would you be scared?  "That's impossible" you might think.  I had never heard or imagined anyone going that fast on a bicycle. It seemed like you just wouldn't be able to do that.  Imagine my surprise in September when I met a woman who had done it.  Enter Denise Mueller Korenek.  On September 16, she clocked the fastest time EVER to be ridden on a bicycle: 183.932 mph to be exact.  She did this at Utah’s Bonneville Salt Flats with a very large front chain ring drafting behind a dragster. Imagine being inches off the back of a dragster at that kind of speed? (Matt Ben Stone) It wasn't her first world record either.  The 45 year old mother of three set the fastest female speed record in 2016 at 147.75  mph.  That wasn't enough, she went back for more and her current record is the fastest anyone has EVER ridden a bike.  Denise is no stranger to grand achievements.  As a racer in her junior days, she started collec

How well do you know your body?  Dr. Jen Esquer (DocJenFit) believes in empowering people to heal themselves through movement and body awareness.  As a Physical Therapist with a sports focus, she has the equation to our aches and pains: mobility.  Mobility or being able to use our body through its full ranges of motion is often the most overlooked element.  Mobility is what makes up the foundation behind stretching, strength work, and yoga and every way we bend and use our body.  I recently started putting more emphasis on mobility when I realized that all of my recurring aches and pains were related to an inability to move properly.  I also couldn't understand why I could never do a proper handstand despite doing yoga for over a decade.  I learned that I actually can't put my arms over my head properly.  Wake up call: all the yoga in the world won't fix your mobility issues.  I learned mobility the key to shoulder and knee pain.  When I found DocJenFit on Instagram, I was amazed and inspired by her videos. 

What really motivates us and where does motivation come from?  Motivation can wear many faces.  Sometimes we are motivated by external factors - a race result, a promotion, a leaderboard, money, or a number on a scale.  Other times, we are motivated because we simply love doing something.  Going deep into why we choose to do certain things and how to stick with our habits is a fascinating topic.  I personally think it's important to have awareness around our self-talk and understanding how to motivate others in a positive, proactive way.  I was really excited to have the chance to speak with Dr. Heather Patrick.   She earned her Ph.D. in Social Psychology.  She has contributed to health psychology in many ways including her role as the health scientist and program director at the National Cancer Institute for 5 years and the associate director of the SmokeFree.gov Initiative.  Currently, she works at Carrot to help create programs and technology around stopping smoking.  She is passionate about health coachin