Meet FRÉ Ambassador & Fitness Enthusiast Sophia Kim

@lift_drink_eat

About me: I was born in Queens, New York and currently live in Brooklyn, New York. I’m very energetic and bubbly, but I can be quite introverted, too. I love weightlifting and living a healthy, balanced lifestyle.

My fitness journey

I started running right after graduating school; I never thought of weightlifting or other types of exercise. I didn't love running and it gave me a bad knee. I ran very often, but wasn’t good at keeping up with post run care like ice packs. When I met my now husband, he introduced me to the world of weightlifting and it changed my life! I definitely want to continue weightlifting for the rest of my life. I noticed how different weightlifting felt and how my body immediately took to it. During this time, I also took the personal training exam. Although I’m not currently training clients, I really wanted to learn more about fitness and this was a great way to do that. I’m also thinking about it as a future career option. But right now, I’m an elementary school teacher and have a lot on my plate! 

Fitness tip

Weightlifting works for me, but, in general, everyone is different. You need to find the right fit for you whether it's HIIT training, yoga or something else. What people do on social media isn’t necessarily the right fit for you. You need to find something you can work into your lifestyle.

Resilience tips

This year, 2020, has been challenging. The gym was always my happy place, but gyms were closed for 6 months here. I had to accept the situation that I was not training and be ok with it. I had to find mental happiness elsewhere. It took me a while to understand this and let my body rest. I would take long walks, listen to podcast music and read books. It’s so important to find things that bring you joy. And it’s ok not to have everything together all the time.

It’s so important to find things that bring you joy. 

Building a healthy, balanced lifestyle

I preach about how important it is to live a healthy, balanced lifestyle and this is especially true now with the pandemic. My IG handle is  @lift_drink_eat  for a reason: you can do all 3 and achieve happiness. It’s important to have a balance between fun, social life, and a positive mental state. 

It’s important to have a balance between fun, social life, and a positive mental state. 

Skincare

I used to have a lot of whiteheads though lately my skin has been better, but I tend to have very dry skin during the winter months. I'm all about routines in my life! For skincare, I live by the 10-step Korean skincare routine. I use toner, then essence (snail essence), then serum, then moisturizer. For the toner and essence there is no “one” product I like, instead I try out different things from  Soko Glam.  For the serum and moisturizer, I always use  REVIVE ME  and  RECOVER ME.  I also use FRE’s  GLOW ME  some mornings if I want light coverage. It’s a great product, because it’s perfect all year round and it’s so important to wear SPF, even during the winter months.

I use FRE’s GLOW ME some mornings if I want light coverage.

Rapid Fire:

• Favorite exercise?  Hip thrust 
• What does sweat mean to you?  Being able to workout 
• What comes to mind when you think of FRÉ?  Products to help balance skin
• What are you most excited about in life right now?  Creating merchandise (bands and caps) with my logo 
• What’s something you’d still love to learn?  I want to learn more about business development and do more with my brand.
• If you were a hashtag, what would you be?  #liftdrinkeat
• What is your mantra?  To live a healthy, balanced lifestyle
• What’s the best advice that you’ve ever received in your life?  Everything is easy, it just needs practice.
• What is an issue that you wish we spoke about more often?  Third world suffering
• What does women’s empowerment mean in 2020?  For women to be able to stand up for what they believe in and support each other in the community
• What are your dreams for the FRÉ community?  To do meetups and train together once this becomes possible again!