From anorexia to a Hyrox world record
At 28, Sophia Parvizi Wayne is a CEO, advocate, and high-level Hyrox athlete. Sophia recently won the European Open Championship, finishing in a world record time of 57:36. (That record was broken by Lucy Procter a few weeks later).
The Hybrid Letter spoke with Sophia about losing 40% of her body weight in 9 months, turning off her watch, and balancing being an athlete and a CEO.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
The Hybrid Letter: Can we hear a little bit about what you do professionally?
Sophia Parvizi Wayne: I run a mental health tech company. We build predictive models and are currently developing what we call a system of excellence. We cover everything from pre-diagnosis and care delivery to coordination and remote monitoring. We have offices in London and Abu Dhabi.
I founded the company—it's my second one. My goal is to make mental health care more equitable, accessible, and affordable. I also care deeply about women raising venture capital. That's an important mission for me. I’ll be speaking in Parliament in a few weeks on the state of female founding.
I work a lot in the Middle East, where the landscape is still developing. I think it’s exciting to show up for women in multiple spaces without painting everything as doom and gloom. I’m not here to say it’s bad for women—I’m just going to do the work, so someone else will feel they can too.
I never set out to be a founder. I actually wanted to be a war journalist in the Middle East. I studied history, policy, media, and journalism.
THL: What got you into the mental health space?
SPW: I got into mental health 14 years ago. I was diagnosed with anorexia and lost 40% of my body weight in nine months. At the time, I was an endurance runner. My best friend had just died, and no one had ever taught me what grief looked like.
At 16, I started a campaign in the UK to get mental health onto the national curriculum. It ended up becoming one of the biggest mental health campaigns in the country. By the time I graduated high school, we’d actually gotten mental health education rolled out nationwide.
Tech came a bit later. I started my first tech company accidentally during my sophomore year. Every time I tell that story, it sounds more impressive than it is. I still have no idea what I’m doing half the time.
THL: When did your athletic career begin?
SPW: I started running competitively at age seven. By ten, I was swimming as well, and training about 20 hours a week. I’m tall, a perfectionist, and a long-distance runner—the perfect recipe for an eating disorder. I was a privileged, middle-class girl who liked to run far and fast.
The eating disorder began when I switched from swimming to running and thought I needed to lose a bit of weight. But when you're impulsive like me, it's easy to go too far. My dad’s a doctor. My mom works in medicine. They were good parents and did everything right—but long-distance running can be unhealthy, especially for young girls.
We never talked about amenorrhea. It was just assumed none of us would have periods. I once showed up to the track with a BMI around 13. I was unwell. At 15, I had to tell my coach I couldn't run for nine months until I gained weight back and got clearance from my doctor. He was confused. “There are girls thinner than you still racing,” he said. It was triggering.
Back then, no one really understood what female health meant. And sure, being lighter makes you faster—for about three months. Then everything breaks down. I actually stopped running around that time. Thanks to my parents, I didn’t run—or even walk—for about a year. I just ate 6,000–7,000 calories a day to recover.
Once I was in a better headspace, I started running again. My body wasn’t used to that level of fuel, and I was suddenly... good. At 17, in my first race back, I broke the national record for steeplechase. Everyone was like, “Who is that girl? She wasn’t even that good before.” The year after, I was second in Europe for my age group in the 5K. I ran for England. Pretty much every school in the U.S. offered me a full ride. I chose Duke.
THL: How did you balance being a high-level athlete with your mental health?
SPW: I’ve been lucky that I haven’t struggled with it recently. I feel past that now. I definitely have ADHD and some impulse control issues, but the eating—thank God—has been fine.
The biggest thing I’ve learned? Repression breeds obsession. There’s so much prescriptive stuff in the Hyrox and running world—creatine, macros, body fat percentages. I don’t count anything. I don’t know my body fat. I don’t weigh myself. I don’t care.
If I feel healthy, I feel happy. I sleep well. I menstruate. I compete fine. That’s what being an athlete means to me—performing at your best, not knowing every digit about yourself. People may disagree, but that’s how I’ve chosen to do sport.
THL: What drew you to Hyrox and kept you coming back to compete in it?
SPW: Honestly, Hyrox was a fluke. I got injured while pacing the Paris Marathon and thought, “I should try something else while I’m recovering.” I tore my Achilles and just stayed really fit on the bike.
Before my first Hyrox, my coach told me not to run for three months—just run on the day. Focus on the ergs to stay fit.
Then I went to my first Hyrox and loved it. I missed the sense of community I used to have with running. I had some race anxiety—probably ego-related. When you’re younger and really good, it’s intimidating to return. You think, “People are watching.”
So my parents and I made it a holiday. We picked Gdansk, Poland—a random spot where no one would recognize me. My first race was an Open. I won by a minute. A week later, I wanted to do another one. I figured three months would be enough to improve.
Then I snagged the last qualifying spot for Worlds. One week later, I did my first Pro race—without ever training Pro.
THL: Did you have expectations going into Vienna?
SPW: Two races before Vienna, we think I had COVID. I was dealing with chronic fatigue. I’d been living on planes. The week before, I won London Pros, though my time was slow. But I’d just come from San Francisco, Dubai, and Saudi—so I was exhausted.
For Vienna, I’d finally shaken the fatigue. I was training hard, back with my high school coach. We’ve worked together for 15 years. I felt strong, even with partially torn rotator cuffs. My two best high school friends and my mom came with me. They made it a really girly trip.
I didn’t overthink it. I walked 15,000 steps the day before. But I told them I’d be disappointed if I didn’t come in top three. I knew one of the girls was very fast. In the back of my mind, I told myself I wanted to break the world record.
THL: Did you feel like you were racing people in Vienna or racing the clock?
SPW: I was alone the entire race. I told myself to start slow. I had a tendency to bomb the skierg and burn out. My goal was to hold a 2:02 pace. At 900 meters, I realized I was holding 1:54—but I felt fresh. I came off 30 seconds ahead and thought, “Let’s keep this up.”
I knew I might be chased down, but I wasn’t racing anyone. I just wanted to maintain the gap. I actually turned off my watch at the start line.
During the last run, I checked the event clock and started doing mental math. It helped calm me. When I got to the wall balls, I knew I had five minutes left to break the world record. I just had to go unbroken.
THL: How have you tried to balance a demanding job with being competitive in this sport?
SPW: People ask me all the time—when your company hits Series A, will you quit sport? If you get into the Elite 15, will you step back as CEO? The answer is no to both.
I was a full-time athlete during my gap year, and I wasn’t happy. My brain needs stimulation. I actually think having another focus helps me perform better in sport. I don’t think training full-time would make me better.
Do I think I’m doing too much? Yes. Could I be 20% better if I didn’t? Probably. Am I jealous of people who can do that? A little. But I’ve made changes—I try not to take red-eyes for work. I’m not really drinking right now.
This year’s Hyrox season has brought so many opportunities, and I’m grateful. But I’ve lost the ability to choose how I live. So now I’m focusing on being more intentional.
I’m good at honoring both identities—female founder and athlete. But who is Sophia outside of achievement? We forget to honor that. Yesterday, I landed at 6 a.m. and had a call at 9. When my team asked for another, I said, “Actually, I’m going to walk my dogs.” I hadn’t seen them in days.
Then I texted my guy friends and said, “My KPIs this month are two dates.” They laughed. But I meant it. Maybe I’ll go on a date, have a drink, and that’s fine. At this point, I’d rather build a company—or race—with someone by my side.
THL: What are your plans for the rest of the season?
SPW: I got a last-minute ticket to the Elite 15 Last Chance Qualifier in Barcelona. I think breaking an hour is a good, realistic goal.
I was supposed to run the Gothenburg Half, but I might switch to Berlin Hyrox to try to reclaim the world record. My mom always laughs—somehow, I can never figure out the Roxzone. I always get lost.
Also, when I drink, I don’t run at all. I stop. I’ll randomly talk to people on the first lap. There are so many weird little things you learn with experience.
So: Berlin, Barcelona, then Worlds. After that, I’ll train through the summer but not compete. I’ll do some 5Ks and 10Ks, go on holidays with friends. If I wake up late, I’ll just run later—and slower.
I’ve talked to a lot of people. Ninety-nine percent of Hyrox athletes have full-time jobs, kids, lives. Like you said, life goes in seasons. Training has to go in seasons too. You can’t do both full tilt for five years.
That’s been my life—no downtime. Now I’ve learned that in order to perform, I need to learn to peak—and also to rest.
You can follow Sophia on Instagram.
Video of the Week: Jake Dearden's excellent adventure
In the space of a few days across two continents, the UK's Jake Dearden qualified for the Elite 15 Hyrox World Championship and set a world record for Hyrox Pro Doubles with his partner James Kelly. He captures his incredible journey — and the training that made it possible — in a new YouTube video:
Hybrid athlete of the week: Jannik Czapla
Name: Jannik Czapla
Age: 25
Hometown: Mosbach, Germany
When did you start hybrid racing? I did my first Hyrox in 2021 and got hooked on the sport. I shifted my training to focus entirely on improving in it. This season is my first racing as an elite athlete, and I’m one of the youngest on the circuit. I’m really proud of that.
Favorite race to date and why? My first Elite race in 2023, in Stockholm, was incredible. Competing against my idols—guys I’d looked up to—and standing next to them on the start line was surreal. It’s a totally different kind of race.
In a regular Pro race, you mostly run your own race. You’re chasing a personal best or a time. But in the Elite races, the competition is direct. You have to watch the other guys—see if they go out fast or take a more tactical approach. That was all new to me, and really exciting.
Do you have a race goal? At the start of the season, my goal was to qualify for one Elite 15 major. Now, I have the chance to compete in all four. That’s wild. Right now, I’m aiming to qualify for [the Hyrox World Championships in] Chicago. I’ve worked hard for it, but if it doesn’t happen this season, I’m only 25. Hopefully, I’ve got a lot of years left in the sport.
Something you wish you knew when you started racing? One of the big mistakes is doing too much. People want to go all out every session, give 110%, but that kills your recovery. You need balance. I usually recommend one hard day, then one easy day. That rhythm works for most people. If you’re constantly doing hard sessions, it catches up with you. You see a lot of people in Hyrox get sick or injured because of that. I think social media plays a role. People see Instagram full of intense workouts and feel like they need to match that. But it’s not sustainable.