Reading other people’s inspiring stories is a great way to get motivated to challenge yourself, so when it comes to inspirational surf stories there are some out there that can really move you. Often surfer’s stories are overlooked, or forgotten about, but there are a few out there that continue to inspire the surfing community. So today we take a look at our top 3 favourite stories about over coming the odds to help you get inspired to either get out at your favourite surf spot, or even sign up for your first surf camp experience:
1- Bethany Hamilton
If ever there was a story about rising up against the odds set against you, it’s got to be Bethany Hamilton's. When she was only 13 years old she had her left arm bitten off in a shark attack when she was surfing. Almost loosing her life due to blood loss, her story came to light when she not only recovered, but was back in the water teaching herself to surf again within a matter of months.
After years perfecting her technique, she surfed so well on shortboards that she became a professional surfer and competed on the women’s ASP world championship tour. She would duck-dive with the help of a handle placed on the centre line of her surfboard, and would use extra kicks to help paddling into waves one handed. Her story has inspired children and adults around the world to never give up in the pursuit of their passions.
2- Mick Fanning
Known to the world as x3 world surf
champion, Mick ‘White Lightning’ Fanning is often thought as a golden
child who now has it all. However in his past there has been some tough
times that have made him into one of the best surfers on the planet.
When he was only 16 years old he lost
his brother Sean to a tragic car accident. An enormously talented
surfer, Sean’s departure was felt by the close knit surfing community
strongly. Fanning has often accounted his successes in the water to his
brother still being with him and inspiring him so much.
Often also forgotten about Fanning is
that he suffered a horrific wipeout in 2004, where the impact of a wave
tore a ligament in his leg from the bone, resulting in months of
rehabilitation and the muscle literally being reattached by hooks to his
bone. His experiences from the loss of his brother and his accident,
have lead him to be one of the worlds most competitive and fittest
surfers.
3- Taylor Knox
Photo : dragonalliance
Mr Knox is a living legend in the
surfing world. He competed on the ASP world championship tour for 17
years, putting the world’s best surfers to the test. Yet it is little
know that when he was only 15 years old he was almost incapacitated by a
skateboarding accident. He had damaged a vertebra in his spine to the
point that he had to undergo back surgery to prevent the vertebra
severing his spinal cord and leaving him paralysed.
Miraculously he made a full recovery
and was back in the water surfing better than ever after spending 6
months in a back body cast. He used his recuperation time to visualise
being in the water and surfing each wave perfectly.
This article was added by Francesca Bingley
