What’s On at Soneva

Ken Kiriyama was a martial arts prodigy in his teens and for the past three decades he has immersed himself in freediving, swimming, meditation, pranayama, Ayurveda, yoga and fitness, and personal development. He is a student of Umberto Pelizzari, who trained under the legendary Jacques Mayol. He currently holds four national records for Japan in deep freediving and has held the following world rankings: 16th, 10th, 8th (twice) and 6th. He can hold his breath for nearly 8 minutes and dive to 94m on a single breath. Ken is a returning resident specialist at Soneva Fushi, where he is known to help guests overcome their fears and move beyond their perceived limitations. He emphasises that guests have a unique learning experience rediscovering their potential both mentally and physically. Ken has taught people of all ages how to use authentic techniques to enrich their lives and enhance health, well-being and vitality.

Karen Willenbrink-Johnsen is an acclaimed American glass artist known for her nature-inspired sculptures. Her work, often created in collaboration with her husband, Jasen Johnsen, combines technical precision with a deep reverence for the natural world. She has received numerous accolades, including the Acquisition Award from the Tacoma Art Museum (2006) and a Louis Comfort Tiffany Award nomination (1994). Willenbrink-Johnsen’s work has been featured in prestigious exhibitions, including the Corning Museum of Glass and the 52nd Annual International Glass Invitational at Habatat Galleries (2024). As a dedicated educator, she has taught at the Corning Museum of Glass and Pilchuck Glass School. With her innovative approach and passion for nature, Willenbrink-Johnsen continues to make a significant impact on the world of contemporary glass art.

Chef and culinary artist Nawal Alkhalawi is a Saudi entrepreneur & seasoned Le Cordon Bleu-trained nutritional chef. After years of local and international experience between Saudi Arabia and London, she found her passion and niche in sustainable food practices. The preservation of heritage, art and culture is reflected in curating culinary experiences that bridge her appreciation for traditional cuisine with her global outlook & multicultural exposure. In 2019, she founded Asfar, a cultural culinary pop-up concept in AlUla, Saudi Arabia, to curate events, workshops and VIP dinners to showcase local Saudi heritage and culture through food. She has since expanded her services to include concept and recipe development for cafes, restaurants, private dinners, art galleries, holistic health facilities and clinics.

As part of our ongoing commitment to ensuring that our younger guests stay inspired and intrigued, Soneva aims to help visiting children and teenagers feel fully supported outside of term time. We have partnered with Oppidan Education, a British-based mentoring firm created to help children continue their learning outside of the classroom and reach their full potential. Along with the Oppidan team, mentors Henry and Jess will be hosting plenty of exciting and engaging activities, as well as complimentary drop-in workshops with fun, educational activities and private, one-on-one appointments, which can be scheduled each afternoon at an additional fee.

Joe Wicks is on a mission to make the world fitter, healthier and happier. The man behind the global fitness brand The Body Coach, his YouTube channel ‘The Body Coach TV’ delivers home workouts for all ages and fitness levels. Inspired by the sense of fulfilment he got from helping his clients get fitter and healthier, Joe started using social media to share nutritious recipes and motivation, which he hoped would make a positive difference in people’s lives. His 15-second videos of meals that take 15 minutes to make quickly attracted a large following and inspired Joe’s first book – Lean in 15. Full of 15-minute recipes and workouts, the book was published in 2015 and has sold over one million copies. It was the UK’s best-selling non-fiction title that year and is the second best-selling cookbook of all time. His ‘PE With Joe’ workout series during the Covid-19 lockdown received over 80 million views and raised more than £580,000 for NHS Charities Together. In 2020, Joe broke the Guinness World Record for the highest number of viewers for a live-streamed workout on YouTube – with over 955,000 viewers taking part.  

Harry Jameson is an elite performance coach, who has worked with some of the world’s most successful names and brands over a long 20-year career. Specialising in optimal daily performance, stress management, leadership and emotional well-being, Harry has worked with clients that include partners at McKinsey, CEOs of Chelsea Football Club and ITV, the UK Prime Minister, Apple, Nike, Twitter and Lululemon. Helping the busy executive stay mentally, physically and emotionally at the top of their game has been Harry’s life’s work. More recently, Harry founded Pillar Well-being, a global luxury well-being and hospitality concept, and Harry also writes a monthly column for The Times newspaper.