Mother, influencer, and business-owner Sophie Cachia has always been one to push boundaries, and never settle.
The mum-of-two is making her first foray into reality TV this year, but it seems like just the next challenge for the 31-year-old, who has always forged her own path in life.
A public figure from early on, Sophie rose to prominence as the businesswoman and blog writer behind The Young Mummy, which she began after giving birth to her son, Bobby, in 2014, just months before she turned 23.
While they were incredibly young, there was no denying the love between Sophie and Bobby’s dad, Jaryd Cachia, an AFL player.
The pair married in 2016, and the following year welcomed their daughter, Florence.
However, in 2019, everything was flipped on its head when Sophie took to Instagram to announce that she and Jaryd were splitting, much to the surprise of the public.
“Whilst it hasn’t always been easy navigating through co-parenting under the same roof this year [which has included family holidays, continual support of personal careers & no changes to our social setting], we truly appreciate how lucky we are to have each other.
“Unfortunately, we could no longer agree on which setting to have the toaster on, who left the sock drawer open and if you really put butter before peanut butter.
“But really… we aim to continue to create our very own version of happiness together as a family and to bring our children up with the inspiration to continually do what makes you happy and live your life how you want to live it,” the lengthy caption read.
“We are merely a case of two kids who fell in love hard early and are now two adults who love and respect each other enough to part ways amicably,” she continued.
“We have always had – and still do daily – operate as one mind, and that’s why there’s been so much understanding with such a sensitive topic.”
Still in her late 20s, there was plenty more ahead for Sophie, who was coming to terms with her sexuality.
While she and Jaryd had opened up their marriage prior to their split, details of Sophie’s dating life were kept mostly private, until they could no longer be hidden from the public.
“It was groundbreaking to everyone else. But to me, it really wasn’t,” Sophie told Sean Szeps on the Come Out Wherever You Are podcast.
“I was just a woman owning some changes that were happening in her life. And I was embracing them. And they were so beautiful. They were scary, but they were beautiful,” she shared.
While Sophie and Jaryd remained good friends and dedicated co-parents, Sophie struggled with the transition in her life when it came to her female friends.
“I’m sitting at the table wanting to share with these people my happiness,” she recounted to Sean.
“[I wanted to say], ‘I slept with someone on the weekend!’ You know, girls’ conversations. Or, I’m dating, and I love this girl.’ No one asked.”
“I was immediately ostracised from a group of friends I’d been friends with for 15-plus years, because of a choice in gender,” Sophie said.
However, this setback didn’t keep her from finding love again, and she soon began a relationship with soccer player Alanna Kennedy, with the pair going on to have a short relationship.
“She was overseas for the first five to six months. We didn’t dive straight into a relationship but we definitely connected straight away,” Sophie said of the relationship.
These days, Sophie is in a dedicated relationship with basketball player Maddie Garrick, with the two often sharing loved-up snaps of each other on social media.
But Sophie’s approach to her social media presence has changed. While she once shared everything with her followers, she now plays her cards closer to her chest.
“As I have grown older, I have evolved in the way I want to present my family, myself, what’s actually important and what do people actually need to know,” she told The West Australian in 2021.
“I had created this page and it was successful because I shared every facet, every little detail but then I realised there was no rule book. I didn’t have to do it anymore.
“I went through some really challenging personal times where people were wanting answers, and I didn’t even have the answer myself.”
And with her experiences moulding her into one tough cookie, Sophie is probably one to watch when she appears on Survivor: Blood Vs Water alongside sister, Kate ‘KJ’ Austin.
Filming the show was the longest she’d been away from her kids – and she had custom initial earrings made to take on the show with her.
“B in one ear and a F in the other because I’ve never been without my babies,” she shared on Instagram.
“It honestly made such a huge difference knowing who I was there for,” she shared.
WATCH BELOW: The honeymoon is over for Mark and Samantha on Australian Survivor
You can catch Sophie on Australian Survivor: Blood vs Water from 7:30pm on Monday, January 31 on Channel 10.
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