The Sofield Family; Team Grit and Grace

Resident Feature by Sheila Turner-Hilliard

Photos by Katie Borsuk Photography www.KatieBorsuk.com

Thanks to Alpha Century Security of Newtown Square for sponsoring our Resident Feature.

Meet The Sofield Family: Shannon, Jenn, twins Reagan and Peyton, and Julian. They lead by example and live their lives with passion, dedication and a commitment to family, fitness and fun!

Shannon grew up in Voorhees, New Jersey, with his parents and two older brothers. He attended Eastern High School where he was a member of the wrestling team. Shannon went on to further his education at Rider University, where he studied Finance and earned both his undergraduate degree and his MBA.

While in graduate school, Shannon coached Division 1 Wrestling at Princeton University, and helped produce four NCAA National Tournament qualifiers, something that had not been accomplished in the previous 10 years of Princeton’s program.

After college, Shannon began working in website development and online services. He started his own company, which was one of the first to develop an online platform that enabled users to convert compact discs (CDs) to mp3 files. It was a pay-to-download product that earned him numerous awards and recognition.

These days, you’ll find Shannon helping other companies maximize their online businesses through Software-as-a-Service (SaaS), a licensing model that allows access to software on a subscription basis using external servers. SaaS allows each user to access programs through the Internet instead of having to install the software on the user’s computer.

I love my job!” Shannon explained. “I enjoy seeing businesses grow directly through my skills and expertise.

Jenn and Shannon Sofield

Jenn is originally from Havertown, where she grew up with her parents and two brothers. She graduated from Haverford High School and was a member of the Haverford Fords Cheerleading team. A self-described lover of warm weather and sunshine, Jenn headed west for college: Arizona State University, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in Communications.

Jenn’s work has varied over the years, from gym software sales to sales management to most recently a Realtor® with Compass Real Estate.

I have an affinity for helping people in all aspects of their lives,” she said. “Helping my clients find homes is very rewarding work for me.

In addition to her time spent house-hunting, Jenn also works on the account management team for Wodify, a well-known gym management software company.

Shannon and Jenn met in the summer of 2005 in Avalon, NJ. Mutual friends introduced them at the Princeton Bar & Grill. They soon realized that they shared many loves including the sun, the surf and the sand. They also learned that they share the same July birthday! That’s not the kind of compatibility you find every day, so after a few years of dating, Jenn and Shannon tied the knot in Riviera Maya, Mexico, surrounded by family and friends on — you guessed it — their birthday!

The newlyweds began their married life in Philadelphia, but soon after decided to move to the suburbs. They wanted to start a family and to give their Rhodesian Ridgeback pup, Aspen, room to run.

The Sofield’s Rhodesian Ridgeback, Aspen

As soon as we saw Newtown Square, we loved it,” said Jenn. “We found a home on a cul-de-sac in a quiet neighborhood with fantastic neighbors.

Shannon remarked that their neighbors are not only wonderful, but they have also become such close friends that Jenn and Shannon asked them to be the godparents to their son.

Now meet Jenn and Shannon’s twins. Their oldest by only one minute daughter, Reagan, is a fun, sociable 2nd-grade student at Culbertson Elementary. She loves being creative and playing sports.

Reagan enjoys making crafts," said Jenn, "Practicing gymnastics and playing with her siblings.

And although Reagan is just 60 seconds older than her twin sister Peyton, she acts as though she’s much older.

Peyton is also in 2nd grade at Culbertson. Shannon said that even though they’re twins, Peyton and Reagan are very independent.

Peyton is friendly and outgoing, but she also likes her alone time,” said Jenn. “She loves gymnastics and sports, but one of her favorite activities is making TikTok videos.

Reagan, Peyton and Julian Sofield

Shannon and Jenn’s son Julian is six years old, and is in Kindergarten at Culbertson.

Julian is a sweetheart,” said Jenn. “He is responsible, polite and kind. He loves playing with his sisters but is also very active in sports.

Julian plays soccer, flag football, basketball and recently started wrestling.

Anyone who knows the Sofields knows that health, wellness and physical fitness are their top priorities. Jenn enjoys coaching the kids’ soccer and basketball teams, and Shannon has recently started assisting with Julian’s wrestling team. Jenn and Shannon both agree that while it’s great to be involved in the kids’ activities, it is equally important to carve out time for their own health and wellness.

Both Shannon and I work out at CrossFit, and I have recently started to practice Muay Thai, which is often referred to as Thai Boxing,” explained Jenn. “And Shannon is a Judo Black Belt, an expert in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and he loves to surf and snowboard.

Their commitment to health and wellness is so strong that when all the gyms shut down due to the pandemic, they converted their garage to a workout room. “We had some equipment at home, but our CrossFit gym allowed us to rent weights and barbells,” Jenn explained. “I never in a million years thought I’d be motivated to work out at home, but when I had no other choice, I made it happen.” She said she searched everywhere online to find inspiration to come up with new and engaging workouts. Then she began posting her own workouts on social media.

Team Grit and Grace

I started getting messages from friends thanking me for the extra motivation,” she said. “Knowing that someone might need an extra boost ended up motivating me to keep going.

“It’s important to make yourself a priority,” Shannon said. “The hardest part is just getting started.” When asked how they stay motivated to work out every day, they both agreed that doing so not only improves their physical health but also makes an enormous difference in their mental health. “We also want to be good examples for our kids,” said Jenn. “Our family motto is that when life knocks you down, push yourself back up and make it a burpee workout!”

Jenn certainly knows a thing or two about being knocked down. “In May of 2020, I discovered a lump in my breast,” she said. “I had missed my mammogram because of the pandemic, and I just happened to find the lump on my own.” She admitted that at first, she didn’t think much of it and thought it was probably just a cyst. But after she had a mammogram, ultrasound and biopsy, she was diagnosed with breast cancer.

Jenn considered her options and chose to undergo a full mastectomy and reconstructive surgery. The first operation took place in July 2020, and her reconstructive surgery happened a few months later in September. Shannon explained how they worked through this experience as a family. “We were open and honest with the kids, and we are very proud of that,” he said. Jenn considers herself very fortunate to be on the other side of her breast cancer journey. She knows that many others may not have a successful outcome, and that fuels her even more to take care of and to listen to her body.

The Sofields like to call themselves Team Grit and Grace. “We are determined to teach our children by setting good examples,” Jenn said. “We strive to show our kids that hard work will always pay off, and if you aren’t good at something, just put in the effort and you will get better.” Hmmm… Jenn: Does that also apply to burpee workouts?

Do you know a Newtown Square family, individual or nonprofit group who should become known by our community? Make your nominations for upcoming feature articles by emailing your ideas to Sheila Turner-Hilliard at STurnerHilliard@BestVersionMedia.com.