Today we’d like to introduce you to Sofi Manko.
Hi Sofi, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I started gymnastics when I was 5 years old. That was my full time job my entire childhood. I moved to Canada alone from Ukraine at 14 to train and compete in rhythmic gymnastics. I didn’t speak English and lived with my coach through high school, fully immersed in the world of elite sport. But even then, I knew gymnastics wasn’t my forever. I dreamed of acting and modeling, but I wasn’t allowed to pursue them. Still, I never let that dream go.
At 16, I made the hard choice to quit gymnastics so I could finish high school with strong grades and apply to university. I was also very business-minded and enrolled at UBC’s business school. But after nearly three years, I realized I was building a life that didn’t reflect who I truly was. I left business school, auditioned for Vancouver Film School, and finally began pursuing acting full-time. I signed with an agency and went for it. I wasn’t happy with myself though, because I felt horrible and my health reflected on the way I looked.
But what people didn’t see was the silent battle I was fighting. Years of restrictive eating, physical overexertion, and chronic stress left my body completely out of balance. I had no real connection to my femininity, my health, or my own body. I suffered from acne, irregular periods, mood swings, bloating, hair loss—and no one had real answers. Eventually, after a painful episode of period cramps, I was diagnosed with PCOS. The only solution I was offered was hormonal birth control, but I knew that would only mask the problem.
So I decided to heal myself—naturally. I researched endlessly, learned everything I could about female hormones, the menstrual cycle, the nervous system, inflammation, and nutrition. I gave up alcohol, caffeine, processed food, sugar—anything that triggered symptoms. But more than that, I redefined what fitness and self-care meant for me.
As a former gymnast, my relationship with movement was extreme and punishing. I wanted something that felt nourishing, graceful, and sustainable. I discovered low-impact methods like Pilates, barre, fascia release, lymphatic stimulation, and all the important things that women need to do to feel their best: take care of nervous system, gut health, hormones . Slowly, I rebuilt my body and health—inside and out. My skin cleared, i started to glow, my hair was healthy, I wasn’t inflamed and puffy all the time, my pain got away, and I finally felt alive in my own body.
That transformation became my message. I started an Instagram page (@fit.bysofi), sharing my journey, habits, and methods—and within a few months, one video blew up. Thousands of women who were going through the same things started following me. I realized this wasn’t just my healing journey—it was a mission. I wanted to help women reconnect with their bodies, feel confident, vibrant, and empowered. Learn all the natural ways to heal and become their best selves.
Now, my page is my platform, my purpose, and my voice. I train women privately in Vancouver and have built an online community of women learning how to care for their bodies in a loving, mindful way.
In 2024, I launched MANKO, my own fitnesswear brand created to support this vision. It’s not just about clothes—it’s about identity. I want women to fall in love with themselves, their routines, their bodies, and their identity. I want them to feel powerful, sensual, bold but at the same grounded. I debuted the collection at Vancouver Fashion Week—this time not just as a model (which I’d done before), but as a designer. I even did a walkover on the final look to bring back a piece of my past while fully stepping into my new path.
Today, my goal is to reach and help thousands of women rediscover themselves. I still dream of acting in a Marvel movie and walking major runways—but I’ve found something more meaningful. If I can help one woman feel healthy, strong, and beautiful in her body—that’s my real success.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It’s definitely not been a smooth road—and I honestly wouldn’t want it to be. The challenges shaped everything I stand for today.
Moving to Canada alone at 14 without speaking English, living with my coach, and trying to succeed in a high-pressure sport like rhythmic gymnastics was incredibly isolating. I had to grow up fast, take care of myself emotionally, and carry the weight of expectations at a very young age.
When I finally quit gymnastics, I faced another challenge—being lost. I knew I wasn’t meant to continue as an athlete, but I also wasn’t allowed to pursue the dreams I had (acting and modeling). I ended up in business school trying to prove something, but it wasn’t my path. Convincing my family to let me drop out was a huge emotional hurdle.
And while I was chasing my dreams, I was silently suffering physically. Years of physical strain and restrictive diets led to severe hormonal issues, disordered eating, hair loss, chronic fatigue, mood swings, and painful acne. When I was finally diagnosed with PCOS, the only medical advice I got was to go on birth control—which felt like a band-aid, not a solution.
The hardest part was feeling disconnected from my own body. I didn’t feel feminine, healthy, or confident. Healing took everything—years of unlearning, researching, and rebuilding myself from the inside out.
But through those struggles, I found my purpose. I turned pain into power. I now help women avoid going through the same confusion and helplessness. And that, to me, is the biggest victory.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I’m a mindful fitness trainer, wellness creator, professional model, and the founder of MANKO—a women’s lifestyle and fitnesswear brand designed to empower women through movement, beauty, and self-love.
In my work, I specialize in helping women reconnect with their bodies through low-impact, hormone-supportive movement, fascia release, lymphatic health, and nervous system regulation. My approach is holistic—blending physical fitness with emotional well-being. I teach women how to move in a way that feels good, supports their cycle, and cultivates long-term beauty, energy, and balance.
What sets me apart is that I’m not just a coach—I’m someone who’s lived through the pain and done the work. I came from a world of elite gymnastics where movement was about perfection, pressure, and pain. After years of hormonal imbalances, PCOS, disordered eating, and burnout, I completely transformed my body and my life by learning how to work with my body, not against it.
I’m most proud of the community I’ve built online—thousands of women who are changing their lives through my method. I share my story, my tools, and my real-life habits to help women heal naturally, feel beautiful, and become the best version of themselves.
I also work professionally as a model, which is something I dreamed about as a young girl but wasn’t allowed to pursue. Today, I proudly represent my own brand as both its face and its founder. One of my biggest milestones was debuting MANKO at Vancouver Fashion Week—not only as a designer but also walking the closing look myself, blending my past in performance with my present mission.
Everything I do is about creating a lifestyle where women feel strong, feminine, confident, and radiant. My work isn’t just about fitness—it’s about self-worth, identity, and daily rituals that support a beautiful life.
What matters most to you?
We live in a world that constantly disconnects women from their bodies, their intuition, their rhythms. We’re told to push harder, do more, shrink ourselves, and fit into molds that were never made for us. I know what it’s like to live in survival mode, to feel disconnected from your health, your confidence, your dreams—and I also know what it’s like to come back home to yourself.
That’s why my mission is so personal. What matters most is guiding women back to themselves—through movement, self-care, nourishment, beauty, and gentle discipline. I want women to feel strong without suffering. To look in the mirror and love what they see—not because it’s “perfect,” but because it’s theirs. To understand their cycles, their hormones, their nervous systems—and to live in harmony with them.
I believe when a woman feels safe in her body, she becomes unstoppable. She shows up differently in the world, in her relationships, in her purpose. That’s why I do what I do. Because when one woman heals, she gives others permission to do the same.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://mankowear.com/?fbclid=PAQ0xDSwLD8MBleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABp4Y8MzVALSAwSX2dZ4pijzCa37–Ry5kuEtmk0lC1CRK8WVZc34EwDn0ox4n_aem_6RY-wkmNSSR9dbia1_LByQ
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fit.bysofi/?hl=en
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@fit.bysofi?si=9l2Lh4f578ex0uNP
