Crossing Borders, Crossing Lines
Sonya co-founded Crossing Lines in 2013 to use the striking imagery of highlining to change the conversation about the Middle East. In 2014, she led the first Crossing Lines project in Iran where the Iranian and American team established new highlines and hosted the first Iranian international highline festival. She is currently organizing the second Crossing Lines festival which will be hosted in Lebanon in 2018 with many of the best highliners in the world and a team of photographers, and videographers.
When the travel ban was announced in January 2017, Sonya began a new Crossing Lines initiative to use slacklining to change how we see and talk about refugees. Slacklining builds balance, coordination, and confidence and can alleviate symptoms of psychological stress and trauma. The Crossing Lines team is currently teaching slacklining to refugee kids in Lebanon and the U.S. through local partners to aid in social integration and community development, to provide a playful physical education experience, and to create striking media to influence public perception of refugees.
Sonya is a digital nomad and works as a freelance biotech consultant while building the Crossing Lines projects.
In the Slackline Community
Sonya began a community slackline website, SlackLink.org in 2011 which lead to her increased participation in the development of the slackline community worldwide. In 2015, she founded Slackline U.S., a national non-profit slackline advocacy organization and leads the organization as the president of the executive board. She was also part of the development of the International Slackline Association and continues to be a member of the executive board.
For the past four years, she has devoted more than 500 hours a year to non-profit slackline efforts to promote safe and sustainable development of slacklining as the sport grows rapidly.
Speaker, Writer, Storyteller
Sonya is currently traveling around the U.S. and Europe speaking about Crossing Lines, teaching slacklining and highlining, helping to organize slackline festivals, and writing about slacklining and science.
Selected Pubications
Fear and Love in the Middle East
Travel with Peace and Good Protect You
LabCentral: It Takes a Village to Start a Company
Performer, Highline Rigger
Sonya has rigged and performed as a highliner for city festivals, special events, and commercials.
Dixie Ultra High Steaks
Dixie Ultra The High Wire
Bella Sky Hotel Copenhagen Performance
MEDIA
In the media
Helsingborgs Dagblad: Highlining with Helsingborg Port Authority – Sweden (2017)
Helsingborgs Dagblad: Pre Report – Highlining with Helsingborg Port Authority – Sweden (2017)
My News Desk: Highlining with Helsingborg Port Authority – Sweden (mynewsdesk.com 2017)
Elevation Outdoors: Flashpoint – Lining it Up – US (2017)
New York Times: Highlining in California – US (2017)
SNEWS: Taking the highline: Slackliner Sonya Iverson crosses cultural borders (2017)
Women’s Running Magazine: Why Runners Are Flocking To The Sport Of Slacklining (2017)
Midwest Basecamp: Mountain Hardwear Impact Initiative (2017)
Outdoor Retailer Daily: The Heroes We Need (2017)
BBC: Highlining China, Shenxianju National Park (2016)
The AWL: The Highlife in Xianju (2016)
Berlingske: Highline Bella Sky Hotel, Copenhagen (2015)
Tv2: Highlining Bella Sky Hotel, Copenhagen (2015)
DR.DK: Highlining Bella Sky Hotel, Copenhagen – Video (2015)
That Time GoPro Failed to Go Big (2014)
Boston Magazine: Slacklining: Walking A Tight Rope At The Esplanade (2013)
Videos
Dixie Plates – High Steaks Commercial (2017)
Dixie Plates – High Steaks Commercial v2 (2017)
Ignite Boulder – Sonya Iverson “How slacklining can change the world” (2017)
China 2016 – Highline in Shen Xian Ju (2016)
Move Copenhagen Festival (2016)
Move Copenhagen highline at Bella sky – Gadeidrættens Dag (2015)
Move Copenhagen Festival (2015)
Move Copenhagen Festival (2014)
Other content
