AGE:  44

PROFESSION:  Stay at home mom (last 9 years), sales and modeling.

HOMETOWN:  Stockholm, Sweden   

COLLEGE:  Nacka Gymnasium

FAVORITE FOOD:  Sushi and since I’m not into food, anything healthy and tasty

FAVORITE PLACE VISITED:  Hawaii and Miami

FAVORITE PLACE LIVED:  Santa Monica, Newport Beach and Vasastan (Stockholm).

PLACE YOU WANT TO VISIT:  Bali

FAVORITE MOVIE:  It’s hard to pick one – The Naked Gun series, Maid in Manhattan, Night at the Roxbury, There’s Something About Mary, Knotting Hill, Love Actually, Coco & Shawshank Redemption.

FAVORITE TV SHOWS:  Friends, Seinfeld, 90 Day Fiance and Prison Break.

FAVORITE SINGER:  Aventura (I liked them even before I lived in The Dominican Republic), Celine Dion, Enrique & Julio Iglesias, Eva Cassify, Andrea Bocelli, Dave Matthews Band, Jack Johnson and Romanian House (great to run to on Spotify!).

HOBBIES:  Reading health and nutrition magazines, singing, dancing, hiking, running & going out for walks and re-arranging the home furniture.

BACKGROUND:  I was born and raised in Stockholm, Sweden. Growing up, I lived very remotely by the Nordic Sea and it was a 1.5 mile walk to the bus station to go to school, so my sister and I would always challenge each other to see who could walk the fastest. That experience made me appreciate physical activity and want to stay active the rest of my life. Looking back now, being active and participating in sports was one of the reasons I was always so happy as a teenager. We also visited family friends in Michigan every summer and that built my love for America, so I went home to Sweden and started watching Dallas to learn English and practiced speaking it to my dog. My love for America became so strong that I turned down the house my mom built for me to stay in when I was 15 and also gave up the Miss Stockholm crown I won. I moved to sunny Los Angeles when I was 18 and the next 23 years were spent living in LA (mostly), Orange County, Florida, Stockholm and Dominican Republic. The last 10 years I’ve been a stay at home mom to three boys (5, 8 & 10 years old) and dragged my husband and boys back to Sweden (2 times). We have lived in Stockholm now for 3 years. My motto in life is “nothing is written in stone.”

When I lived in Santa Monica, I lived next to a dietitian named Sarah who told me I should meet Sonki, who at the time was starting his fitness company Sonki Fitness. I first started helping him with some paperwork, then joined his classes and started feeling great right away. What I really love about it is the structure and how positive he was. He was never condescending nor forceful (like other “boot camps”) and made everyone fit, without making anyone feel silly or intimidated, because you compete with yourself, not with others. The camaraderie within Sonki Fitness was like no other. Everyone was so friendly, positive, and supportive. Some of my fondest memories are seeing dolphins in the water while working out on the beach while hearing “up an inch, down an inch” as well as making some life-long friends. I’m amazed how many times people would stop me to ask how I got in such a good shape. I’ve had so many people ask me what was my secret was to getting such toned arms and legs. I would always tell them my secret was Sonki Fitness.

What is your current routine?  Now that I’m back living in Sweden, I do mainly walking and running again now that the boys are older and I’m finding more time for myself.

What is your motivation to stay in shape?  Staying in shape makes me feel good (mentally and physically) and happy. I also believe an active lifestyle needs to be consistent without being fanatical. To me, it’s about balance and not following the latest fad diet or exercise routine. And as a mom, I want to be a good influence for my boys and show them the benefits of staying active and taking care of yourself. It’s the best gift of life I can give them.

What is your greatest challenge to staying in shape?  Finding the time away from running a busy household and the Swedish winters are something I’m not used to. So I have a tendency to stay inside.  

What is your key to success?  Sleep gives me the energy to work out.

What do you like about Sonki Fitness and how has it affected your life?  Whenever I ever felt down or lost motivation, the game changer has always been Sonki Fitness. He is my happy pill. Every time I have moved from LA and come back, or gone through any life changes, I just needed one Sonki Fitness class to get me feeling great again.

What advice would you give to others about fitness?  Go to SONKI FITNESS! And stay consistent, even if it’s just walking back and forth to work or taking a bike ride to the store instead of a car.

Any other comments?  Thank you Sonki for always motivating me and helping to remind me what makes me the happiest in life. I love you Sonki!