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Ep. 15 - Breaking Records: The Journey of an Ocean Rower with Sophia Walters
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The Movement Mentality Podcast
with Missy Bunch
Ep. 15 - Breaking Records: The Journey of an Ocean Rower with Sophia Walters
In this powerful episode, Missy Bunch welcomes ocean rower and multi-sport athlete Sophia Walters to explore the intersection of athletic grit, personal transformation, and nervous system wisdom. Sophia shares the origin story behind her world-record ocean row, how trauma shaped her early athletic pursuits, and why she’s now channeling her energy toward purpose-driven preparation and embodied leadership. From her unconventional outreach that sparked life-changing opportunities to her upcoming 2026 transatlantic expedition, Sophia offers a masterclass in resilience, curiosity, and self-trust. This conversation is a must-listen for anyone navigating big goals, big emotions, and the beauty of starting again.
In this episode
- 02:10 - Meet Sophia: From rowing prodigy to world record holder
- 06:45 - The moment that changed everything: How a book and a cold DM sparked her first ocean row
- 12:33 - Flatwater vs. ocean rowing: From ballet precision to Cirque du Soleil-level adventure
- 17:40 - Seasickness, neuro training, and the pursuit of resilient performance
- 23:58 - Rewriting strength: Trauma, athletic identity, and the journey to joyful movement
- 31:00 - Translating discipline into life and entrepreneurship
- 36:25 - Preparation vs. outcome: What Sophia is taking—and leaving—into the 2026 row
- 41:10 - Trusting yourself in the face of uncertainty and others' opinions
- 47:05 - How to support the new team: The Seabirds, their goals, and opportunities for partnership
- 52:12 - A letter to her younger self: "This is temporary."
Quotes:
- “At first, I didn’t even love rowing—I just wanted to be the best at it. It wasn’t until later that I realized the joy in doing things just for me.” [24:33]
- “Discipline sounds intimidating, but it’s really just about showing up. If you want something to happen, you have to show up for it—again and again.” [31:15]
- “This is temporary. You are where you are, but just remember—this is not forever.” [52:15]
Connect with Missy & Michelle
· Instagram: @missybunch15.
· Instagram: @themovementmentality
· Watch this episode on YouTube: @TheMovementMentality
· Sophia’s Instagram:@sophiasadj
· Book Mentioned: Rowing the Atlantic by Roz Savage (inspired the initial row)
About Missy
Missy is a multi-certified movement therapist who has been educating and coaching for over 14 years.As a young professional dancer, she battled many injuries over her career and one day she found someone who studied neurology (the study of the brain and nervous system). After one session with this person, her 4-year knee pain was completely gone. She knew she wanted to teach this approach to the world.
The importance of brain function and using the nervous system to rapidly “debug” movement patterns, decrease pain, and
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