Inspiring People Interview -Sophie MacKenzie

Next in our Inspiring People Interview Series we have the lovely Sophie MacKenzie, Soph is the other half of the Megs and Soph Duo and is also a World Record holder in rowing!  We chat to Soph about her training schedule, her healthy lifestyle and her most memorable moment on her journey so far! 

Hi, I’m Sophie MacKenzie but Soph for short, I am a full time athlete in Rowing so I get to travel overseas every winter to European summer 🙂 and race internationally and I Love it! I grew up in Marlborough on a big high country sheep station and have always played a lot of sport. My huge passion for health and well-being didn’t really start until my first year out of high-school and I turned official lightweight and started training harder for rowing which meant I needed to fuel my body more efficiently. So since then especially the last two years I have developed a much more holistic and whole food approach to eating and my general well-being.

Tell us about your current lifestyle and why you choose to eat a gluten free and whole food diet…
I eat gluten free because I suffered from terrible tummy aches and pains throughout my whole life pretty much when I started reducing gluten products I noticed a huge change and I no longer get those nasty sore tummies. I grew up on a farm with our staple dinner being meat and three veg so whole foods were kind of drill into me from the start and to this day a roast meal is still my favourite! Plus I love creating dishes with whole foods in their natural state as they have so much flavour and can literally use them in everything – about to go make courgette choc protein muffins…

What does a normal training day look like, both training and food wise…
My days vary A LOT but a general day might look something like this.

6.30 wake up take heart rate, make green juice and eat breakfast which is usually soaked oats or if I have time make porridge. I like to change up the flavours most days but love goji berries with walnuts or seeds.
Bike to training (25 minutes)
Go rowing for about 1 ½ – 2 hours
Bike home
Make a large Protein Smoothie, again flavours change at the moment I’m loving either a rich chocolate and banana one or a Vanilla and Blueberry one both usually have some greens hidden in them.

11-2 do some study, Megs and Soph stuff or create something.
Lunch is also mixed in there somewhere and usually involves some form of eggs like a omelete, in a sandwich or poached on quinoa bowls
2.30 back on bike to training
3pm Either go biking for 2-3 hours or weights session or ERG/row session about 1 ½ hours total

Bike home
Have something to eat – either a smoothie or protein muffins, toast, cereal – all is home made and can find on Megs and Soph or in our eBooks.
6.30 Dinner, I cook a couple of times a week and have loving getting out the slow cookers lately and throwing everything in the morning and its basically ready when I get home 🙂
After dinner I usually just chill out, study maybe or do some yoga if I haven’t before dinner.
Bed time, woohoo I get to lay down!

What is your approach to balance & moderation in life?
I think we should enjoy everything in moderation which is why I often indulge in chocolate. People often think that I am super healthy and never eat what they might consider unhealthy food, but I don’t deprive myself of something if I feel like it or want it I’ll eat it.

Another way to look at a balanced life is by seeing how much I train I try to compliment it by practicing calming yoga which sometimes turns to simply just laying on the floor because that’s what I need.

What is your favourite form of exercise to do (outside of rowing)?
It’s actually walking up big hills and mountains I just LOVE it! Growing up on a farm surround by hills it would be hard not too

What is your most memorable moment in your career so far?
I would definitely have to say this year has just been incredible winning bout under 23’s and then elite in the light double has literally been a dream come true. And to top that off we got the world record! I’m still trying to believe it.

What is your favourite healthy recipe? 
This is actually to hard for me to choose!!! I have so many but if I had to say right now I think it might be ginger slice or blueberry smoothie…

What is your number one tip for those who want to live a healthier life?
Everyone is different so embrace your uniqueness either through foods you like and work for you, or through the way you move your body find what fits you at that point in your life and Have fun with it!!

 What are your favourite healthy living blogs/websites or tools?
Megs and Soph! haha but aside from the obvious I actually have so many it’s a bit ridiculous! Dr Libby is a go to and have all her books to, but I love finding more people and seeing what they write so www.mindbodygreen.com is a great place to search for the stuff I love 🙂

Thank you so much for agreeing to be interviewed. And for making time in that hectic sounding schedule to complete the questions! I’m not sure how you manage to fit it all in, I can see why sometimes you just need to lye on the ground 😉

You can find Soph in the following places:

Megs and Soph Website 
Twitter @MaccaSoph  and @megsandsoph
Instagram
Megs and Soph Facebook

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