Lady Shredders Who Overcame A Low Point
An incredible characteristic many professional athletes share is their resiliency; the ability to get knocked down, and get back up. Many of the athletes on this list overcame physical setbacks, like Lakey Peterson's early-season ankle injury, but it's the mental barrier that is the toughest to overcome, as Stephanie Gilmore revealed. Each lady shredder experienced a person setback, but they all came back, stronger than ever. Here are their stories.
Stephanie Gilmore: Attacked Outside Of Her Apartment
Shortly after being crowded WSL world champ for the fourth year in a row, Stephanie Gilmore's life was shook. On December 27, 2010, Gilmore was outside of her home in Coolangatta, New South Wales, Australia when she was brutally attacked by a transient man who suffered from schizophrenia. As she walked up the stairs to her apartment, the man struck her with a metal pole, hitting her in the head, and then the wrist. The incident not only sent Gilmore to the hospital, and then into recovery, it shook her confidence.
She told ESPN, "At the hospital, I remember being absolutely horrified to go home. I didn't want to go home ever. Those were the first thoughts -- to go from feeling so independent and comfortable to, 'Oh my god. I don't want to walk to my apartment anymore.' How do you go home?" She also had to pause surfing for seven weeks.
Gilmore's injuries healed, but the emotional scarring will take longer. She got back in the water and can now reflect back on the incident with more perspective. She continued in the interview with ESPN, "I think I have a better understanding of who I am as a person and where I want to go and who I want to be surrounded by. What makes me tick, the things I value. The simple things. I get so consumed and lost in my travels that sometimes I don't appreciate everything being shown or given to me. This has made me stop and take the time to do that."
Elena Hight: Didn't Qualify For Olympic Team
Leading up to the 2014 Winter Olympics, press was in full swing. The top candidates for the U.S. Olympics Snowboard Team, although they had not yet qualified, were going through the media rounds. Elena Hight was expected to make the U.S. team to compete in the SuperPipe event. After all, she had competed on the team in 2010, and was one of the top ladies in the game. But, she didn't qualify.
She told Cooler Magazine, "I am definitely disappointed. I have given my all in the last year to prepare for the Olympics. It is hard to see a dream slip out of your fingers." But Hight bounced back. In 2017, she won her first X Games Gold in the SuperPipe (she already had three silver medals and two bronze). Her snowboarding career is still going strong.
Courtney Conlogue: Heartbreaking End To 2015 Title Race
In 2015, Courtney Conlogue was a top competitor on tour, and was in the race for the world title. Conlogue had prepared and trained to finish the season strong, and clinch the title, but no human could contain their emotions at a time like this. Everyone watched the last event at Honolua Bay on pins and needles. In Round 4 of the Target Maui Pro Courtney went up against Coco Ho. She needed to continue through into the quarterfinals in order to stay in the title race. It was that close.
But, she didn't make it through, and Coco's win in Round 4 secured the title for Carissa Moore. Courtney got out of the water, completely devastated, as anyone in her position would be. She had a good cry, as the 2015 tour and her chance at the title all came to an end on the same day. It was all over.
And then, she came back. She trained harder, she went bigger, and Courtney has been in the title race every year since.
Lakey Peterson: Ankle injury Ends Her WSL Season Before It Even Started
At the very start of the 2016 World Surf League season, California surfer Lakey Peterson broke her ankle. She was primed and ready after some downtime between seasons, and the build-up was shattered as quickly as her ankle did. But, like the other ladies on this list, she stayed positive and came back fierce. She also took some inspiration from them.
"Courtney came back from injury last year and nearly won the title, and I've been seeing Steph lately, after her injury, and she's looking really good right now." And now, she's killing it. Seriously, have you seen her fitness regimes on Instagram?!?
Bethany Hamilton: Always Chasing Dreams
Unless you've been living under a rock, you know surfer Bethany Hamilton's story. Her arm was taken from her by a shark in 2003, while surfing at home on the island of Kaua'i. But her injury was a blip on the radar for how much this woman has experienced and accomplished in her young life.
She appeared on The Amazing Race Season 25 alongside her husband, Adam Dirks, and they placed in the top three, an incredible achievement while all of us sat on our couches watching while shoveling chips into our mouths.
Soon after, she gave birth to her son, in 2015. Despite adding 'mama' to her resume, she's still a dominating force at her true calling: riding barrels. She won the 2014 Surf 'n' Sea Pipeline Women's Pro and finished third at the 2016 Fiji Women's Pro, casually visiting with her son and husband on the boat in the channel between heats. Bethany is a badass, internationally-recognized and respected.
Silvana Lima's Knee Injury Didn't Stop Her From Flying
Silvana Lima- one of the most talented female surfers in the air game. The Brazilian can huck it above the lip and land it with mind boggling consistency.
In 2012, a knee injury had her resting rather than competing on tour. It was her sixth year on the WSL 'CT and she had consistently finished in the top five. In 2013 she tried to re-qualify but missed the cut. She's back on tour now, and won her fourth WSL event title of her career at the 2017 Swatch Trestles Women's Pro. What's more, she's back on tour streaming live video, dazzling us with her latest flash in her bag of tricks.
