WBFF Champion Gal Yates in Two-Piece Workout Gear Shares "Best Parts of My Day"

She Has Cystic Fibrosis

Sophie was diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis at four months old and was told she might not live past 16.“Cystic fibrosis is a genetic disease that affects your lungs and digestive system, inherited from birth - although I was actually diagnosed very late,” she told Women’s Health. She added to Strava that she ended up in the hospital at 19 and was told by doctors she "only had a couple of years to live,” she said. “I think this is where the power of naivety can sometimes kick in. I sat there in the hospital thinking ‘I don’t believe you. I don’t have time to die. There are all these things I want to do with my life.’”

Running "Saved My Life" She Says

“Running saved my life. If I hadn’t gone on my journey and decided to challenge myself through running in different ways, who knows whether or not I’d still be here today,” Sophie told Strava. “I believe fitness saved my life, because it’s given me experiences and memories, and it’s also shown me what I am capable of. My happiest times and my happiest memories have been the ones where I've been leaning into the most discomfort.”

Goal Setting

Sophie recently revealed that her goal for 2025 is to complete “12 challenges in 12 months,” she wrote in a post. “I thrive and love big challenges but next year is about being able to achieve smaller but just as significant goals throughout the year to fit into life and staying fit and strong simply say YES to anything. The main goal being I want to see how fast and strong of a runner I can become and add in some different types of adventure to take me back to the mountains, trying new things to push me out of my comfort zone and with few things set already and a dream race in place which I’ll talk about soon its turning into an incredible year. And Also the building blocks to get as strong as I can ready for the big challenge I want to do after…I love setting goals.”

Swimming

As part of her workout split, which she shared on Instagram, Sophie swims. “Weeks out from @newyorkcity_marathon,” she wrote. Why does she swim? “I swim for recovery and to reduce impact plus benefits for my engine and lungs for running,” she said in the post. She does two 30 minute swims per week. Swimming is a good way to get regular aerobic physical activity, according to the CDC. Just two and a half hours per week of aerobic physical activity, such as swimming, bicycling, or running, can decrease the risk of chronic illnesses. In addition to the many physical benefits, there are multiple studies supporting the mental health benefits of swimming as well.

Hiking

Sophie loves to hike and mountain climb. She even summited Mount Kilimanjaro in 2015, two years after she was told she had years to live. According to the National Parks Service, the physical benefits of hiking include:

• Building stronger muscles and bones
• Improving your sense of balance
• Improving your heart health
• Decreasing the risk of certain respiratory problems

She’s Consistent

Boon makes sure to stay consistent with her workouts. She talked about this in the caption of her recent post. “We all have our reasons for challenges. Mine is 1 press to handstand 🤸♀️ each day for 30 days. Why? To gain consistency facing something I personally find hard each day! Lots being learned as we go, I'm nearly there, staying focused and looking forward to pushing to the end. Here we go!”

She Stretches

As you can see from her Instagram post, Boon likes to stretch to keep herself in shape. Harvard Health states, “Stretching keeps the muscles flexible and healthy, and we need that flexibility to maintain a range of motion in the joints. Without it, the muscles shorten and become tight. Then, when you call on the muscles for activity, they are unable to extend all the way. That puts you at risk for joint pain, strains, and muscle damage.”

She Lifts Weights

Boon likes to lift weights to keep herself in shape. She shared this video on Instagram of herself doing weight training. Boon captioned the post, “Day 1 of the Level 2 Burgerner Strength Weightlifting course is proving to be a valuable experience, filled with some great takeaways delivered through whiteboard & video theory discussion, combined with a healthy dose of hands-on practical learning. From physical assessment before even touching a barbell to all things Snatch! We delved further into points of performance for block work and drills ... and I mean so so so many valuable drills, to some fun building to a heavy for the day. It's been great to connect with new friends who share similar passions while having fun and gaining knowledge that can be immediately applied to our own training and coaching. I'm looking forward to day 2!”

She Does Bar Muscle Ups

Boon likes to do upper body workouts, like bar muscle ups. She shared this video on Instagram of herself doing them. Boon captioned it, “BAR MUSCLE UP. There are many ways to learn a skill, many drills for the same skill, and not everyone responds to learning the same drills that is where coaching comes in (I can help here) BUT the fundamental of skill acquisition remains the same: ⭐️ Foundational strength ⭐️ Progressive dills ⭐️ Keep building strength in those positions ⭐️ Continue drills and progress. Rinse and repeat, repeat, repeat 😉”

She Walks

Boon likes to walk to keep herself in shape. In this Instagram reel, she is seen walking on the beach. Boon captioned the post, “Morning Connect. True-Fuelled. Meaningful and with gratitude. Get ready for something exciting! ... 🙊 🤫” Harvard Health states that walking has a lot of benefits. “Walking can help protect you during cold and flu season. A study of over 1,000 men and women found that those who walked at least 20 minutes a day, at least 5 days a week, had 43% fewer sick days than those who exercised once a week or less. And if they did get sick, it was for a shorter duration, and their symptoms were milder.”