As a Model and emerging Spokesperson, Sofiya Chorniy is carving out her own unique niche by promoting good health practices, environmentally-conscious living and philanthropy. In this interview, she shares everything from her connection to Ukraine, to the causes she’s passionate about and her vision for the future.
By: Ayah Victoria McKhail
Strikingly beautiful, Sofiya Chorniy is statuesque and lithe with long, honeyed hair and brown eyes. Born in L’viv, Ukraine on September 7, 1993, she immigrated to Canada at the tender age of four, along with her older brother, Andrew and their parents, Oleh and Ulyana Chorniy.
Sofiya’s love for her homeland began to flourish in her formative years. As a child, she spent many summers in L’viv and she reminisces about the characteristic charm of the city, with its astounding scenery and abundance of chestnut trees.
Walking along the cobblestone streets, she would come across bazaars where traditional embroidered shirts and jewellery, such as intricately designed beaded necklaces were sold. Also, the mouth-watering aroma of freshly-baked goods would waft through the air, beckoning passersby to the bread/pastry huts, peddling everything from tasty tea cookies to buns.
“My fondest memories involve exploring L’viv with my grandparents, who showed me various landmarks and told me about the history of the city, as well as the history of my family and where my brother and I used to play. I also remember having ice cream at one of the dessert shops and how amazing it tasted!”
Naturally, Ukrainian heritage forms a focal part of her identity and she has a great deal of national pride. “I’ve been blessed with being part of a culture that has a melodic language, rich history, ornate traditional costumes and tight-knit community.”
She also appreciates how Ukrainian culture is connected to nature. “Being a nature lover myself, I enjoy wearing the traditional flowers on my head for Ukrainian events whenever possible.”
Furthermore, the soulful portrayal of nature in Ukrainian culture resonates with her and she cites the works of the country’s legendary poet, Taras Shevchenko as the perfect embodiment. A prime example she offers is his poem “The Mighty Dnieper Roars and Bellows”, which is also known as “Bewitched”. (Реве та стогне Дніпр широкий/Причинна). Penned in St. Petersburg in 1837, it transports readers to the Dnieper River, which flows through Russia, Belarus and Ukraine to the Black Sea. Rhythmic and expressive, it evokes a sense of connectedness with the inherent beauty of the natural world. This is felt by the poet’s description of loud, cascading waves; the howling wind; the sighting of the moon amidst a cloud in the sky, and the presence of birds. Moreover, it’s also revered as a folk song.
Sofiya demonstrates her dedication to Ukraine by partaking in philanthropic initiatives to benefit its people. For example, as the Internal Director of the University of Toronto’s (U of T) Ukrainian Students’ Club for the 2014-2015 academic year, she suggested that the Club organize a humanitarian drive to support charities that serve orphaned children and families affected by the war in Ukraine.
Her suggestion was well received and so far, the Club has organized two holiday drives and has resolved to make this an annual initiative. Moreover, the spirit of collaboration reigned as executives and members of the Club worked tirelessly to assist with promotions; have the Ukrainian Credit Union, Buduchnist Credit Union, St. Vladimir Institute and the Ukrainian Youth Association of Canada serve as drop-off locations; did the packing, and secured the shipping service, Meest Corporation Inc., as a sponsor.
Due to the generosity of Toronto’s Ukrainian community, over the past two years, the Club has succeeded in collecting over $700 USD and over 600 kg of donations, comprised of clothing, toys and art/school supplies.
Such initiatives are especially meaningful to Sofiya. “I enjoy taking part because not only am I able to give to those in need in my mother country, but I’m also able to share this wonderful feeling of giving with others who are also helping, which is a beautiful way to connect with people.”
She adds that such experiences affect her on a visceral level. “It feels so humbling to give back and think that you’ll make a positive change in someone’s life, who may not be as fortunate as you. The whole process makes me realize how fortunate I am to have extra supplies and clothes to give and how privileged we are to live in comfort away from conflict areas.”
Moreover, by mid-June 2016, following five years of intensive studies at U of T, she’ll have graduated with two degrees: a Bachelor’s in Physical and Health Education (B.P.H.E) and the Concurrent Teacher’s Education Program (B.Ed), with a minor in French. In turn, she’ll be eligible to apply for teaching positions at both the elementary and high school level for physical education, exercise science and French (core, extended and immersion).
However, she’s also the Program Coordinator for an innovative company whose website is: CertClean.com. Billed as Canada’s first and only seal of approval for safer beauty and personal care products, “CertClean helps shoppers easily discover beauty and personal care products formulated without ingredients that have been recognized to cause harm to human health,” according to its website.
As someone who’s passionate about detoxification, upon graduation, she’d like to direct her energy and focus on this venture. “By not using risky chemicals on yourself, you’re also reducing the amount of impact they have on the planet and wildlife, since they all go down the drain and can continue causing damage elsewhere.”
She stresses that there are added benefits to buying CertClean.com approved products. “Many of these products are Canadian, so buying them also supports small businesses that have integrity and care about the well-being of their shoppers and the planet.” She adds that this cycle helps to reduce our carbon footprint, since the products need to travel a shorter distance to reach customers.
In the foreseeable future, she’d also like to study a form of nutrition. As someone who’s worked at health shows over the past few years, she’s become increasingly fascinated with how our bodies react to different fuels. In addition, she has an associate who’s planning to establish a wellness clinic in the next 5-10 years and Sofiya would be a natural fit in such a setting since she already has a demonstrable commitment to promoting holistic wellness and believes it’s an ethical obligation to offer products and services that cause less damage to the planet.
Furthermore, she’s also passionate about doing shoreline and river cleanups. The website: shorelinecleanup.com makes it easy to register and coordinate a cleanup, or to participate in one. Moreover, she also started a Facebook group for people who are interested in getting involved. The group is called: ‘Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup – GTA’ and it already has 150 members. “This cause is important to me because it pains me to see litter, as it reminds me of its impacts on local ecosystems, water quality and our collective carelessness as a species toward the planet and our home for the sake of convenience and profit.”
She adds that seeing litter makes her feel powerless as she realizes the scope of the problem goes beyond the one or two pieces of garbage she may come across on a daily basis. “Plastic pollution in particular is worrisome, as it photodegrades (splitting into smaller and smaller fragments) instead of biodegrading, which is the breaking down of substances by microbes and can bioaccumulate in the animals that eat them – such as fish, which we then eat!”
Remarkably, she’s helped to pick up over a quarter ton of garbage over the past three years and her unwavering dedication has made a difference in the local environment. Furthermore, in addition to inspiring others to get involved, she’s also received accolades for her efforts.
For example, in November 2013, she was the very first recipient of a $500 grant by the Canadian ecologically-friendly clothing brand, Leave Nothing But Footprints (LNBF). The award is now presented on an annual basis to a woman who has made significant efforts to contribute to environmental health in her community. Moreover, Sofiya’s relationship with LNBF has evolved over time. Initially, she started out as a catalogue model, yet she’s now a brand ambassador for the company and mentions that its affiliates were very supportive of her participation in pageants.
In this regard, her significant achievements are as follows: Sofiya placed 5th at Miss World Canada 2013 and landed in 2nd place in the Sports/Fitness category. Most notably, she received the ‘Miss Photogenic’ and ‘Best in Swimwear’ awards for the Miss Earth Canada 2013 competition and won the title, which enabled her to compete internationally at Miss Earth 2013.
Her success at the Miss Earth Canada 2013 competition was especially meaningful, since the pageant’s mission is aligned with her values of promoting environmental awareness, striving toward ecological balance and the preservation of the planet.
And that’s precisely what she continues to do according to Mr. Ronaldo Soriano Trono, the National Director of Miss Earth Canada. Mentioning that Sofiya’s focus and determination are admirable, he says, “Seldom have I seen the winner of a national pageant in any country – even after her reign is over – continue to be committed to the cause and mission of the pageant. As a former Miss Earth Canada winner, Sofiya continues to get involved with the preservation of our planet by being one of the site coordinators of the Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup and that’s very commendable.”
With a plethora of accomplishments to be proud of – she’s also been the goalie of a water polo team for seven years, in addition to a model for the venerable and internationally-recognized sporting brand, Adidas – she continues to hone her skills in the realm of public speaking.
For example, in August 2015, she was a keynote speaker at a technology conference at Microsoft Headquarters in Mississauga, Ontario. The topic she presented on was ‘ecosomatics’ and nutrition.
As she elucidates, “Ecosomatics is basically bridging the gap we have between our minds, bodies and nature. It involves consciously immersing oneself and being active in nature as a health-promoting practice.” The content was received with widespread enthusiasm and she was thrilled to have members of the audience approach her on how to better implement the tips and strategies she spoke about into their lives.
Moreover, it was a great honour for Sofiya to be invited to give a similar, yet further developed talk at MVP Mix, one of the most prestigious Microsoft technologies conferences in the Southern United States, which was held in May 2016. In addition, Sofiya looks forward to making her mark at another technology conference, which will take place in Toronto in August 2016.
Such opportunities are emblematic of her dreams and pursuing what she loves. Clearly, the future’s looking infinitely bright and she’s wholeheartedly embracing it with her characteristic enthusiasm and ambition.
As a Model and emerging Spokesperson, Sofiya Chorniy is carving out her own unique niche by promoting good health practices, environmentally-conscious living and philanthropy. In this interview, she shares everything from her connection to Ukraine, to the causes she’s passionate about and her vision for the future.
