Sonja Beckerhoff

(She/her) Sonja was born in Germany and moved to Sydney, Australia in 2003 after spending five years living in China with her husband Jakob. In 2017, they left the city for the Blue Mountains, where they now enjoy a lifestyle closer to nature. Jakob and Sonja’s first hike together was in the French Vosges. While living in China offered limited opportunities for hiking, they made the most of their annual holidays in Australia, exploring trails in the Snowy Mountains, which remain a favourite and much visited destination. Their honeymoon took them camping and hiking to Fraser and Hinchinbrook Islands and a three-week trek through South Australia’s Barossa and Clare Valley wine regions a year later had its own rewards and challenges. Before starting her coaching business, AdventureYourself, Sonja worked across the automotive, waste, and construction industries. Today, she coaches and supports women through peri- and post-menopause. In her free time, Sonja can usually be found gardening, hiking, climbing, or making the most of life in the Blue Mountains. One of Sonja and Jakob's most memorable long-distance hikes was the Australian Alps Walking Track, which they completed in 2014. Over seven and a half weeks, they walked 850km from Walhalla, Victoria, to Tharwa, ACT, taking in many of the side trips along the way. They published articles on the AAWT and the Swiss hike in Great Walks.