16/01/2024
A true champion in so many ways
Layne Beachley
I wasn’t born a world champion. I wasn’t born with the ability to become one either. When I sit on the beachfront looking at the corner at Manly, I reflect on being the only girl in the water.
When I started to infringe on the northern end of the beach, I encountered harassment, intimidation, threats, and often kicked out of the water with tears in my eyes, my tail firmly tucked between my legs. They said things like “You’re a girl, you’re not allowed out here”. But I broke down those barriers because I had the tenacity and the clarity of vision to stand up and fight for what I believed in.
Why? Because I craved success more than I feared failure.
My passion for becoming the best surfer in the world prevented any dream-thief who didn’t have the courage and the conviction to set a goal, let alone the determination to achieve it, tell me that I wasn’t capable of doing something.
There are many people out there who will tell you that you can’t. What you must do is turn around and say, watch me.
Our values govern our behaviours. When you’re clear on your own values, you live a life according to your own purpose. You’re no longer a rudderless boat. You’re no longer waiting for other people’s opinions or decisions to determine which direction you head in.
