Slo Mo: A Podcast with Mo Gawdat

Sophie Elwes - A Life Less Ordinary and Grateful for It All

March 31, 2021 Mo Gawdat and Sophie Elwes Episode 104
Slo Mo: A Podcast with Mo Gawdat
Sophie Elwes - A Life Less Ordinary and Grateful for It All
Show Notes

Today’s guest is one of my new friends and heroes, Sophie Elwes. Sophie reached out to invite me on her podcast, but after reading about her, I wanted her on mine first.

In 2011, at age 22, Sophie fell 8 meters while at a party and was given a 40% chance of survival. She was left paralyzed from the chest down and dependent on a wheelchair.

Despite that, she spent several years alpine skiing as a member of the British Disabled Ski Team and then decided to finish that chapter to come back to London.

She now works for a spinal injuries charity, backuptrust.org.uk, supporting people through a mentoring service as her day job. In her spare time, she loves to waterski and wakeboard competitively and host her fantastic podcast - A Life Less Ordinary with Sophie Elwes, where she interviews impressive people who've overcome huge challenges and adversity in their lives.

Sophie is an amazing human being with a mindset that will inspire you to your core.

Listen as we discuss:

  • The pain felt by Sophie's parents as they watched their daughter in a coma for 6 weeks.
  • Sophie fell 8 meters while at a party and had a 40% chance of survival.
  • The "Before" and "After" of becoming disabled, and why she's grateful that it happened.
  • What it's like to realize, accept, and adapt to the fact that you're disabled.
  • Sophie spends many days just thinking to herself, "I'm so lucky."
  • How she lost her dad in the midst of the recovery.
  • Becoming a top adaptive monoski racer and wakeboarder as a paraplegic.
  • Does Sophie feel scared at the start of races?
  • What kept Sophie going and not giving up?
  • If she could go back, would she change the accident? No.
  • How did it change her perception of the physical form?
  • The greatest joy is making others happy.
  • It is through pain that we can grow.

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Connect with Sophie Elwes on Instagram @sophieelwes, Twitter @sophieelwes, and Facebook @sophieelwes. Sophie works as a mentor for the charity backuptrust.org.uk.

Don't forget to subscribe to Slo Mo for new episodes every Sunday and Thursday. Only with your help can we reach One Billion Happy #onebillionhappy.

YouTube: @mogawdatofficial
Instagram: @mo_gawdat
Facebook: @mo.gawdat.official
LinkedIn: /in/mogawdat
X: @mgawdat
Website: mogawdat.com

Don't forget to subscribe to Slo Mo for new episodes every Saturday. Only with your help can we reach One Billion Happy #onebillionhappy