Mad To Live Founder Sophie was interviewed for her High School Magazine, talking all that’s her career since finishing school! Read the full interview below to chart Sophie’s journey.

We all know that it’s important to keep fit and healthy – even if we don’t necessarily enjoy it or see ourselves as sporty. This has been emphasised by the Coronavirus lockdown, with health and medical professionals keen to stress the value of exercise and sports: for physical, mental and emotional wellbeing.
Many of us might not be natural athletes – and all of us will be somewhere on the (rather wide) ‘love it’ or ‘loathe it’ lacrosse scale. Alumna Louise Barnes (2001) spoke to four incredible alumnae who show that sport can be so much more than the chore of a weekly workout. Exercise, fitness and wellbeing all form a key part of their lives and in very different ways. So whether you were on a sports team or not, whether you enjoy exercise or are a self- proclaimed couch potato, read on to be inspired, enthused and encouraged....

Vitality, health and positivity seem to seep out of every pore of Sophie Everard (2004). Not that I’ve met her face to face, but after spending some time scrolling through her Instagram feed – @sophiemadtolive – which documents her life and brand, you get a real appreciation for her energy, drive and passion.

It is these qualities which led her to found MadTo Live – a digital platform that highlights the mental and physical bene ts of adventure, travel and sports. Alongside this, her brand also runs retreats, which Sophie calls “the true physical manifestation of the brand”: adventures for women of all ages in settings across Europe, South America, Asia and Africa.

In many ways Sophie’s life looks like something out of fiction: incredible shots from around the world, as she embarks on ways to encourage us into an active and healthy lifestyle. She’s also had some impressive collaborations with some of the UK’s leading fitness brands, including the likes of Roxy and Sweaty Betty.“At the beginning, launching the brand was reliant predominantly through me being its public-facing spokesperson, utilising content, and collaborating with other brands, for example Roxy, for whom I became an Ambassador for the UK.”

As the business has grown, so has the focus shifted – away from Sophie and towards the women who have been on her retreats and seen a change in their outlooks and lifestyles. Putting them in the forefront is deliberate, to highlight a passion of Sophie’s: “I want to show how these sports are for everyone, and to tell a wider story of the positive impacts this lifestyle has on a kaleidoscope of backgrounds, professions, ethnicities and personality types.”

And this highlights a central premise of Mad To Live – that
of female empowerment and support.“The message of female empowerment is truly the heart and soul of what my brand is about. I have been lucky to see first-hand the positive rami cations of enabling and exposing girls and women to not just sport or trying a new sport, but living fearlessly, of daring to do things that may scare you, of connecting with people you might not normally, and pursuing what sets your soul on re.”

Yet, as someone who is so prevalent on social media and was also the face of Sweaty Betty’s 2019 Spring Summer campaign, she is acutely aware of body image, and in particular its effect on young people.“I definitely feel a responsibility in terms of the audience I speak to and critically, the message I want to project, especially to younger girls. I’d like to show younger girls, women, anybody, that pursuing your hobbies and passions, even if they seem slightly out the ordinary, and sticking with your instincts can be incredibly fullling.”

Sophie’s own journey reflects this, as her business is a direct product of her own hobbies and interests. Although she is keen to stress that she “wasn’t the top athlete at school”, Sophie says: “I was into sport at school and on quite a few teams. I especially loved swimming, and have amazing memories of the galas and training in our pool. My love of swimming and the water definitely led to me picking up surfing, and feeling con dent and able in the ocean.”

And it was directly after leaving STAHS in 2004 that Sophie’s love of swimming began to direct her path.“After I left school I took a gap year, excited to get into the world before my studies at Leeds University. I was living in Portugal during that first summer, beginning to fall in love with surfing and the lifestyle surrounding it. I then went on to the French Alps to spend the winter snowboarding. During my gap year, I had a few jobs and internships working for sports companies and brands, which ignited a passion early on for these exciting and energetic industries, especially, on the women’s arms of the businesses.”
After completing her degree in French and Politics, she moved into this world – working at a range of leading action sports marketing agencies and brands, covering marketing, events management, advertising, PR and editorial work.

Alongside this, Sophie always had other projects on the go. “I have freelanced throughout my career as a writer focussing on women’s sport, travel and adventure, and had a book published
a few years ago on a history of and the biomechanics of snowboarding, which I co-authored with the then UK Head Coach. I guess I always knew I wouldn’t do something “by the book”, as I am energised by my passions and beliefs and wanted to be able to incorporate them into my career.”

These passions finally coalesced and she founded her business, whilst also working full-time and working as a personal trainer in the evenings. “When I was living in London, my interest and passion for sport was really escalating, thanks to spending so much time snowboarding, surfng, cycling and enjoying other sports through my job and travels. As I let myself really come into my own, through feeling physically and mentally stronger by leading an active lifestyle, I also noted how other women also felt coming into contact with sport, and its positive mental rami cations.

“I wanted to create something that enabled more women to essentially feel stronger, happier, to enjoy sport, make new friends, and feel how nourishing the lifestyle around a lot of these sports is. The surfing, climbing, running, any sport really, communities are incredibly welcoming, and a place for anybody, no matter their background, age or beliefs.”
The nourishment that sports provides has also informed the philanthropic work that Sophie does – working as an ambassador for not-for-pro t charity The Wave Project, alongside her friend and Olympic medal winner Victoria Pendleton. “The Wave Project offers NHS backed “prescription surf ” therapy courses to children and adolescents suffering from anxiety, depression, and other mental, physical and emotional disabilities and limitations.

“The results are staggering and thousands of children have bene ted from The Wave Project’s surf therapy. I have taught at clubs, acted as a spokesperson, compered their annual fundraiser, and raised funds for over 100 kids to bene t from the programme.”

Alongside this, she has also used her global retreats to help with projects outside of the UK. In Costa Rica she works with a local tree planting charity and in Morocco sponsors the women and girls’ arm of a local charity which enables local women, who predominantly live below the poverty line, to enjoy both fitness, including hikes, skate, surf and yoga classes, and educational programmes, which cover topics ranging from the environment through to digital marketing.

With all of this, it’s amazing that Sophie has the time to squeeze in every part of her lifestyle and brand.“It’s hard to say which element I enjoy the most of my business, but fortunately the different arms of the business all lead to the overarching ethos and message, so it’s great to have that at the forefront as guidance. I’ve always loved to write since school (I won’t forget Mrs Pyatt’s witty discussions on Chaucer!!) and content creation working for companies like the English Tourist Board, GoPro,Tag Heuer and more sees me really be able to flex my creativity. It’s been an amazing experience and last year I was interviewed by Forbes, an unanticipated and humbling experience.”

Even though the interview might have been humbling, it seems to have been truly well-earned. And I, for one, can’t wait to see where Sophie’s journey leads next.