Sonya Lamonakis was born on a small island in Greece. Adopted by Stephen and Sharon Lamonakis.   She came to the states when she was four months old, along with her one-month-old brother John, and they were both raised in a small town Turners Falls, Massachusetts.

Sonya's family owned a Greek seafood restaurant called The Athens Restaurant. Sonya worked there for many years as a child and that is where she learned how hard work pays off. She also had the opportunity to be raised in a local favorite spot, Scotty’s Store in Turners Falls, MA. She learned how to interact with people of all kind and became very social.

Sonya attended Gill Montague Regional Public Schools and graduated in 1992.  While in that school, she was a 3-sport Athlete, excelling in softball especially where she adored her coach and mentor Gary Mullins.

Her ability to hit the ball out of the park would carry her into her next venture: Prep School She attended Stoneleigh Burnham School for a prep year where she continued to excel as a 3-sport athlete. After prep school she moved onto college. She briefly attended Mitchell College in New London, CT where she helped her team make it to the U.S.A. Nationals for softball.

Sonya knew she wanted to be closer to her family so she transferred to Springfield College. At Springfield she knew she was home. The college is filled with all-star high school athletes that are motivated to be successful.

Their Sonya played softball for Kathy Mangano. She credits Kathy with teaching her valuable lessons that have helped her to be successful on and off the field. When college was finished Sonya took a job as a speech therapist in East Longmeadow. She continued to work out at Gold’s Gym.

In this time she thought she better push herself to a higher education. Sonya attended American International College where she earned her master’s in Elementary Education. She was content. She was teaching 4th grade in Springfield, MA had a master’s degree and was doing what she loved.... teaching.

In the Spring of 2003, while at Gold’s Gym training in West Springfield, MA a friend approached Sonya and told her she is strong and would be a great boxer. He suggested that she go down to his gym and try boxing. Sonya fell in love with the sport.

She started her boxing venture at the Springfield Community Center with Victor James, where he saw a lot of potential in Sonya. He pushed her every day to be successful. After three months she took her first amateur fight, and lost. Sonya actually lost her first three fights. This brought her into 2004.

Sonya then began excelling in the sport. She won the New England Golden Gloves and won a few club show fights she had fought at that time.

It was the summer or 2005 she had been working with Derrick and Darren Whitley twin brothers from Holyoke that had gym and were great boxers. Both brothers saw a lot of potential in Sonya. They told her it was time to make a move, to the Big Apple, if she wanted to be successful she would have to move to the Mecca of boxing, New York City.

Sonya came out to NYC in the summer of 2005, and attended the Teacher Event that took place in Brooklyn. Sonya was offered a job on the spot and decided she was going to make the move to New York City. So in August she packed up her stuff in a U-Haul and left for the Big Apple.

She began training at the legendary Gleason’s Gym in Brooklyn. Sonya adapted well to the scene. She quickly earned a name in the gym as a boxer with a lot of power. Sonya competed in her first New York City Golden Gloves tournament that year in the spring of 2006. Well, that was the beginning of a series that would lead her to where she is now.

Sonya continued to win four consecutive titles as the New York City Golden Gloves Champion. In between those tournaments she would compete in local tournaments and venture of to national tournaments in the summer. In 2010 after compiling a record of 25-6 Sonya decided to turn pro. She is the first female to be signed by Lou Dibella.   As it stands now she is a force to reckon with, she is currently the #1 ranked heavyweight in the U.S.A. and tied for #3 in the World by the W.I.B.A. Sonya is working on building her record and working towards a World Title.

Isn’t that what every boxer dreams about?