Doing Being Becoming Belonging

Long Thankful post… please grab a coffee and enjoy this chapter.

10 days ago I won a 5th world title at Huntington beach, the same place I won my first contest in 2018. I wanted to share and reflect, not because I think I’m a great competition surfer (I hope my best heats are yet to come), but it’s a story of becoming, of where I came from.

My dad taught me to body surf when I was a kiddo and I loved playing in the waves with my brothers. But I never thought I’d be real surfer post injury, it was a pipedream.

For Context:

In 2018, I was working full-time as clinical physiotherapist in a flatwater city and would travel 6 hours to surf… realistically I only caught waves on vacation, I had done two Para Surf ISAs 2016 & 2017 pretty much to participate because I love to surf and I like the people. Early that 2018, I passed my specialist Certified Hand Therapist exam (minimum 5 year experience) and was finishing the last year of FCAMPT (highest international orthopedic training, 7-8 years of work)… I loved the work so it feel didn’t like burning out, but I wanted a break. Still, it was hard to rationalize taking 3 extra days off work to surf this HB adaptive contest before taking more time off for the Para ISAs in San Diego later that week.

I was excited, but intimidated to surf at HB, where the pros compete, all the history, all the surf culture. It was my first contest there and all of the adaptive divisions surfed against each other. It was fun, And Bruno was legendary as the beach announcer! I’ve never laughed so hard before heats… My competition board was a cheap 7’6 epoxy pop-out , the idea and cost of a custom kneeboard seemed absurd when you’re a vacation surfer.

I was surprised to make the HB final, and shocked to win at HB. So shocked that I thought that maybe the judges would come down and say there’s been a mistake. It was so surreal that I was quiet in the back of Spike’s van, headphones on, listening to an Alicia Keyes song on repeat for an hour as Spike, Peg and I drove south to SD. 

As the disbelief faded, this idea grew ‘…maybe I could really good at this, maybe I can have this in my life everyday…’

I’ve been chasing that ever since. 

It’s so easy to write yourself off, but look what can happen when you don’t… 

Flashforward thru wipeouts and hold downs, barrels and bottoms turns. Consecutive wins, but more importantly some of the best trips, best conversations of my life. and sure I’m determined, but the adaptive surf community has helped me more than I can say: Spike, Cara, Leah, Mono, Sponge, Peg, Matt, Pirata, Eric, Chris, Alana, Roy, Geoff, Scott, Fran, Rich and Meira. I feel so lucky, so thankful.  Doing Being Becoming Belonging.

As I write this, I’m on Oahu’s North Shore, watching the waves. Frankly, I rearranged my whole life, it wasn’t easy with setbacks along the way, but I chose well : ) and I’m happy to return to clinical hand physiotherapy work in a more balanced way soon. This story doesn’t feel like years of success, it like feels like I’m becoming more of who I am, a second chance to do what I love... and I’m not going to waste a moment.

The best is yet to come.