Five years ago Dr. Sofi first joined Pac Talk. A lot has changed since — for her business, her body, and for Piet too. This episode is a full catch-up covering three big things: how to actually prevent ACL injuries in young athletes, why she's dedicating part of her career to training the next generation of physical therapists, and what it really looks like to balance being a business owner, physical therapist, gym owner, athlete, and wife all at once.
Dr. Sofi runs Raw Performance in San Dimas, where roughly 60% of her caseload is kids. She breaks down what she's actually seeing in her clinic — the majority of ACL tears she treats come from soccer and flag football, roughly 75% in female athletes, driven by a combination of overtraining without recovery, inadequate strength training, and in some cases nutrition trends swinging back toward "skinny is better." She also gets into the research connecting hormonal fluctuations during ovulation to increased ligament laxity and ACL risk — an important, underdiscussed piece of the picture for parents of young female athletes.
They tackle the biggest myth head-on: that lifting weights stunts a child's growth. It doesn't. Dr. Sofi trains kids as young as four, and the evidence is clear that properly supervised strength training builds resilient tendons, ligaments, and joints — the exact opposite of what old-school thinking assumed.
Beyond the clinical side, this episode gets personal. Dr. Sofi opens up about teaching at Azusa Pacific to help train the next generation of PTs, training for the Chicago Marathon while running her own practice, learning to set boundaries with clients, and why choosing to do something that scares you — whether that's a marathon or standing in front of a room of grad students — is exactly what keeps you growing.
This one's for parents of young athletes, for anyone juggling multiple roles and wondering how to do it without burning out, and for anyone who believes community and education are just as important as reps in the gym.
Connect with Dr. Sofi
Instagram
💪 Join the 7-Day Results Accelerator to build clarity, momentum, and sustainable joy in your routine. pharosathleticclub.com
If you are in Southern California come train with us
Echo Park
Redondo Beach
Idyllwild
Palm Springs
Follow Pharos, Piet and Emylee on Instagram for more fitness related content.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
