Surfi ng life

Finding balance

WITH AN IMPRESSIVE SEVEN SURFING WORLD TITLES TO HER NAME, STEPHANIE GILMORE CONTINUES TO STRIVE FOR MORE

WORDS CHARLOTTE BRUNDRETT

The world of elite sport is usually seen as the stage where everything is put on the line, but Australian surfing champion Stephanie Gilmore has a different perspective.

Rather than subscribe to the all or nothing principle, her mantra is all or something.

“The main philosophy behind ‘all or something’ is that in our world, we’re taught that we have to be all in and that we have to go zero to 100, but something is better than nothing,” the sports star says.

“I encourage people to celebrate the small steps and not be so hard on themselves. "Setting small goals over the course of the day is really important and is often overlooked when we’re chasing a larger goal at the end, but it’s really important that we’re mindful of those decisions.”

Stephanie doesn’t just set small goals when it comes to her sport

"Setting small goals over the course of the day is really important.”

— she extends it to all facets of her life, including her approach to fitness and wellness.

“I think when you have a choice in front of you, it’s important to choose a healthier option because it’s better for you in the long run. It’s about balance and making better decisions in our everyday lives,” she says.

Encouraging Australians to actively think about their health and wellbeing has become an important focus for her.

PREVIOUS PAGE: A relaxed Stephanie Gilmore catches a wave. Photo: AIA Australia. TOP: Downtime is important to the champion surfer; ABOVE: Stephanie likes to learn from her losses and take those lessons into her next event.

Stephanie, the World Surf League's most successful woman athlete, is an ambassador for AIA Vitality and a big fan of its messaging. "As an athlete, practising a healthy lifestyle is something I’m aware of at all times and it’s great to align with a brand that shares this sentiment,” she says.

Having lived an active lifestyle for much of her life, adopting a healthy diet has become an even greater interest for her.

“Now that I’m a professional athlete, I’ve come to learn the importance of not only nutrition, but mental health and everything that comes with it,” she says. “Seeing how much your body reacts to eating better and doing 20 minutes of exercise a day is really beneficial because you see the results on your body and you see how much better your car runs, so to speak. We only get one body so it’s important to look after it and be mindful of those decisions we make.”

When the surfing champion isn’t hitting the waves, she still spends much of her downtime in the water. “I like to body surf and just go for a beach walk. Walking by the shore is my solitude and a place where I’m able to reset, refresh and enjoy the sand between my toes. It helps set me up for the day,” Stephanie says. “I’ll even do something as simple as putting on my favourite song and dancing around the house. Physically moving your body is important and it doesn’t mean you have to go to the gym to be physically active. It’s fun to get creative with what you’re doing and it makes you want to do it more.”

Avoiding distractions on her phone, such as social media, is another factor she is conscious of, especially in the mornings.

“We all want to grab our phones and have a look when we wake up, but avoiding them in the morning is a really amazing way to start your day with clarity by having a moment to yourself. You’re not doing emails, you’re breathing and thinking about your goals,” Stephanie says.

“Setting your intention in the mornings is always important because as an athlete you’re always going to have more losses than you do wins, so it’s fantastic if you can adopt a good head space and overall mindset. It’s not the end of the world if you lose, and you actually learn more from your losses. You’re able to take it into your next event and learn from it and come out stronger.”

This mindset is particularly pertinent as surf competitions resumed around the world after a staggered past two years because of Covid-19.

“We’ve been really lucky to travel and compete in a few events during the pandemic. At the end of the day, it’s made people come together and realise how important it is to have that human connection and support each other.”