GYMNASTICS TRIP SUPPORT REQUEST SURFER SAVANT

Local bodyboarder

Juan Castilla has qualified to compete in the national surfing titles in Port Macquarie (4 –21 August). Juan, from Spring Creek Kiama, is one of a team of four who will represent the NSW in the dropknee bodyboarding titles. Surfing Australia CEO, Chris Mater said: “We look forward to seeing some of Austra- lia’s best surfers return to Port Macquarie to battle it out in the hope of being crowned a national champion. This event is one of the biggest and most prestigious on the Surfing Australia calendar with the Australian Shortboard Titles the highest-rated event (Tier 8) on the National Open Rankings valued at 10,000 points for first place across Open Men and Open Women. So, there’s a lot on the line and no doubt competition will be fierce.”

Juan has been bodyboarding all his life and built his life around it. He says that surfing makes him feel like a teenager, and he loves that he gets to engage with so many different people.

He is not your aver- age surfer. Juan arrived in Australia from Chile some 15 years ago on a university scholarship as he is a scientist who works on solving water problems! Juan completed his Master’s Degree and then went on to get his PhD and remains working in academia.

Dr Castilla says “Surfing helps me perform in science! Academia is very demanding, and with surfing I can switch off the academic brain, chill out and just focus on the waves. I find that the sport creates new energy and my creative juices flow.”

His message to children, and in fact to anyone, is that you don’t have to choose between a career and sport – you can do both!

What is truly inspiring is that Juan is currently 43 years of age, and his future goal is to “have a crack at the Bodyboarding World Tour” when he’s 45. T This event is held in the Maldives, Portugal, Hawaii and Chile.

by Donna Portland

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