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Sonja Piontek - NAMIB DESERT EXPEDITION

@sonjapiontek

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I re-define what's possible - in business and life!
⭐️ Expedition Leader ⭐ SPIEGEL Bestseller Author ⭐ Executive Coach

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Another great article about our Namib Desert Expedition in @diesalzburgerin_dasmagazin - honored to be featured in the special edition for the @salzburgerfestspiele 🫶🫶🫶 @michelezousmerphoto @carmen.hirte 👉🏻 www.namibdesertexpedition.com by @sonjapiontek

Vereinbare jetzt deinen Call für 2027:
www.NamibDesertExpedition.com

#RedefineWhatsPossible #Mindset #Inspiration #PhoenixMindset #SonjaPiontek #Erfolg #erfolgisteineentscheidung by @sonjapiontek

In the heart of the Namib
👉🏻 www.NamibDesertExpedition.com by @sonjapiontek

www.namibdesertexpedition.com by @sonjapiontek

A few first impressions from my recent expedition through the Namib - the world‘s oldest desert! 120km on foot in five days. Epic! Next on will be in May 2027 - check it out www.namibdesertexpedition.com by @sonjapiontek

Breakfast with giraffes 🦒 at @voigtlandguesthouse before the start of the Desert Men Challenge by @sonjapiontek

Welcome to Namibia 🇳🇦 Enjoying precious moments at @voigtlandguesthouse with those of my guests that have already arrived for the Desert Men Challenge 💪🏼💪🏼💪🏼 by @sonjapiontek

That my TOP GUN moment ended like this truly sucked 😡😂

As a teenager, I wanted to become a Lufthansa pilot.

My parents couldn’t afford the 300,000 DM for flight school, and taking on that kind of debt felt suffocating. So I gave up the dream.

I thought becoming a flight attendant might be the next best thing. Lufthansa flew me to Frankfurt for the assessment center — and rejected me with the words:

“We don’t think being a flight attendant is for you. But if you ever want to become a pilot, we’d be proud to have you.”

😤

Fast forward quite a few years…

I’ve lived in 6 countries, built an international career and taken thousands of flights around the world.

But I had never actually flown a plane.

Until a few days ago.

My friend Tom invited me up in his Shark — a small, seriously sexy high-performance aircraft.

We took off from Kitzbühel, climbed alongside the rugged peaks of the Wilder Kaiser, and then Tom suddenly said:

“Take over.”

WHAT?! 😳

I swallowed. Grinned. Put my hand on the control stick.

And flew.

A long-forgotten dream became reality.

I FLEW A PLANE!!! ✈️🔥

For the next few minutes, I was Goose and Maverick rolled into one. Flying through the valley, learning to turn, trusting the aircraft, feeling completely FREE.

Yabadabadooooo!

And then…

I got nauseous.

Very nauseous.

Tried to fight it.

Failed.

And threw up. 🙄😂

Seriously?!

Motion sickness has been one of my limits my entire life. And sometimes our bodies give us limits we simply have to accept.

But most other limits?

Those are exactly where I love to look closer.

Because very often, what we call a “limit” is simply the edge of what we’ve dared to do so far.

And beyond that edge?

That’s where the magic begins. 🔥

👉🏻 Follow me! I’d love to connect by @sonjapiontek

Sometimes, the only way forward is through. 🫶🏻

Near the end of our 120km crossing of the Namib Desert, we faced something completely unexpected water across the salt pan, something we were told hadn’t happened there in nearly 30 years.

That day, my teammate Maggie and I were navigating.

Left? Right? Or straight through?

Going around could mean almost 20km more. Going straight was only 4km.

But the fear wasn’t the distance.
It was not knowing how deep the water was.

Isn’t life sometimes the same?

We chose to go straight through together, one step at a time.

When we reached the other side, we smiled, hugged and cried. ❤️

We did it. Together.

Sometimes courage isn’t knowing what lies ahead.
It’s choosing to move forward anyway.

@sonjapiontek photo by @charlotte.kreft @hermineweil @frelatmen
#NamibDesert #Adventure #Courage #Resilience #WomenWhoExplore KeepMovingForward by @sonjapiontek

What happens when you stop postponing the life you are capable of living? by @sonjapiontek

#eclipse #kitzbühel by @sonjapiontek

Amazing days in Denver Colorado with my dear friend @scottcelebrates and wonderful new friend @carolynkeynotespeaker 🤩🙏🏻🤩🙏🏻🤩 by @sonjapiontek