Born in Boston, Massachusetts, Sonya Chapnick was the quintessential outdoors kid - always on a bike, exploring trails, and soaking up the New England woods. In 1989, at age 23, she was diagnosed with a congenital degenerative retinal disorder. Over the next three years her vision steadily slipped away until she was declared legally blind. Her career in environmental biology vanished overnight, and for a while it felt like her entire future had gone dark too.
Refusing to stay down, Sonya leaned into the gym, became a personal trainer, packed up and transplanted to Santa Monica. In 2024, a book-club dare to run a 5K turned into a new discovery - she trained hard and crossed the finish line of the 2025 LA Marathon.
That same year she discovered para-triathlon, and everything clicked again. Now entering the Adaptive Training Foundation’s Hyper program, Sonya is hungry for elite coaching, sharper speed and endurance, and the camaraderie of other adaptive athletes.
Her calendar is already locked and loaded: three 5Ks in early 2026, a 100-mile bike ride, a July triathlon, and the goal to qualify for the Boston Marathon as she continues to explore life beyond sight.
