Surf

Fast forward a couple decades and I have done my best to keep those attributes strong in my life. Surf travel has shown me there are plenty of surfers like this around the world, that we can be coastal custodians who are effective in protecting the places we love, while also bringing larrikinism and fun to a social space that can be bogged down in obligation and heavy slogans.

My surfing life is fun, but what brings my surfing life depth is action centered on passing on the cultivated energy that waves gift to us when we paddle in.

For me, that means growing most of our own food and supporting our local growers who care for the country while feeding others. It means turning up to support our communities’ efforts to curb excessive development and the commodifying of anything that should be communal rather than corporate. It means running our own actions to heal coastal dune systems. Carrying out guerrilla graffiti actions to slow people down on our country roads so koalas, kangaroos and other wildlife stop being run over by people rushing. My care takes shape in holding community events that are fun and in the places that we love. Rather than in town halls and buildings, we gather at the beach and surf together with everyone from 8 years old to 80.

To give back I started picking up plastic along the shore. As the years and decades of a life in the waves flew by, I started noticing more changes and dramatic differences to the coastline and breaks I’d surfed my whole life. Under my board, the temps were rising, changing the ecology. Intense storms were ripping apart reefs and beaches—displacing rocks and causing erosion that washed away access infrastructure, eating into the car parks and destroying beachfront homes and surf clubs. I watched my favorite tropical reef break transform from a thriving wonderland to a bleached coral wasteland.

After attending a summit with some of the world’s leading scientists it all made sense. This was all the impact of climate change.

Luckily, there are solutions to fix this. Solutions that, if done sustainably, will help many regional towns and coastal communities thrive.

I knew surfers cared about protecting their peaks and had the spirit to do so. With a fellow goofy-footer, Johnny Abegg, we started Surfers for Climate, a sea-roots movement dedicated to positive climate action. As an environmental charity, we deliver high-impact climate educational experiences across Australia, raising awareness and building deep relationships with a diverse set of Australia bipartisan leaders and decision-makers to inspire positive change.

Three years in, it’s been a wild ride with a steep learning curve. I remind myself daily it’s not about being perfect, it’s about simply doing something for the betterment of all living things.

I’ll continue giving back to the ocean for this amazing surfing life she has given me.

We launched a project to create anchorage zones to help yachts avoid damaging corals with their anchors. We set out to reverse overfishing by getting to know the needs of our island’s fishers, helping them create new fishing restrictions and marine protected areas. We lobbied the government for financially accessible spay and neuter programs for cats and dogs, managed to modify a critical law, and received the first ever funding in French Polynesia for a spay and neuter program. We started a program that takes underserved youth on excursions in the forest and the ocean to study local biodiversity. Then there’s applying for grants, talking in schools, attending meetings and hosting beach cleanups.

The more we do, the more we see what else needs to be done, and there are never enough hands for all of it. It’s as exhausting as solo sailing. Thankfully, when the whitewater mounts on the outer reef, the call is still irresistible. Surfing is my self-care, my precious refuge, my attempt at staying in balance. It’s where I go to be recharged and reinspired. The ocean always reminds me why I work so hard at things I’m not even paid to do. Showing up for the good fight requires showing up for myself. And surfing always gives me what I need to be able to keep on giving.

What I’ve experienced while sharing surfing, the ocean and nature with others has grown to far outweigh the majority of my own personal moments in life, aside from being a parent. I might be able to tell you about a few waves or incredible “ah-ha” life moments I have had over the years, but I could go on and on for hours telling you about the experiences that I have had with youth in the water and mountains. It really is the purest form of joy.

Through a life dedicated to the well-being and mental health of children, I have grown to realize that there is just too much magic out there not to share.

I consider myself the lucky one, just for being there.

In 2019, I founded Sentinel Ocean Alliance (SOA), a nonprofit organization aimed at providing underprivileged kids with access to the ocean and ocean education. I had no clear plan at the time, but I knew I had to take action.

Today, SOA has become a force for positive change. We’ve created over 20 jobs on our site and run programs five days a week, teaching kids how to swim and instilling in them the importance of protecting our ocean. Thousands of kids have already participated in our programs, and now we are expanding our reach to other countries.

The journey hasn’t been easy, but it has been incredibly rewarding. Seeing these kids discover the beauty and power of the ocean and witnessing their transformation is worth every challenge we’ve faced.

Patagonia’s support has enabled SOA to reach more communities, spreading the message of conservation and empowering the next generation to protect and cherish our precious ocean.

I believe that surfing has the potential to be so much more than just a personal thrill. It can be a tool for positive change, a means to uplift and inspire others. Through SOA and with Patagonia’s support, I am determined to continue making a difference, one wave at a time, in the lives of these amazing kids and in the fight to protect our ocean for generations to come.