A lthough surfing has always been a sport, pasme and lifestyle, playing a part in our social consciousness for decades it has enjoyed an unmatched growth in parcipants and spectators over recent years thanks to the connecve power of the internet. Youtube has made heroes out of the best of this sport and few have more gravity and presence than Australian surfer Sally Fitzgibbons. Beauful, highly respected and demonstrang such a wealth of talent as to turn her compeon green with envy Sally is not only a member of the Associaon of Surfing Professionals World Tour but also an icon in her sport. Known for her infecous smile and forthcoming nature she is as known for her approach to health and fitness as well as her surfing and has played an important role in the lives of many young female surfers around the world seeking to emulate her. The young surfer with the wonderful smile Growing up in the small beachside town of Gerroa in Australia, and being the youngest sister of three brothers Sally was introduced to surfing as a family predicaon, “I used to follow my Dad and my brothers to the beach and nagged them unl they taught me how to surf.” Being six at the me it lends credence to the way Sally explains that surfing was simply a way of life in the small beach town and that nobody quesoned geng the youngster onto a board. What did impress was the girl’s talent and she soon won her first professional Junior (Under 21 Division) event when she fourteen, “I was absolutely over the moon,” she declares happily, One With The Ocean And Living Her Passion SALLY FITZGIBBONS BY DONNIE RUST “I put my prize money into buying a Jetski with my brother to help further my training. I was one happy grom that’s for sure.” Even at this young age, Sally demonstrated the warmth and sincerity that has made her such a likeable figure in the sport, “When climbing through the amateur ranks to get to that first professional win took a lot of events up and down the Australian east coast and my family travelled and supported me through it all.” Since then she has been compeng on the ASP World Tour since the age of seventeen and is now in her sixth year on Tour. She has also been the world runner up three mes now between 2010 and 2012. Notable wins have included the Presgious Ripcurl Pro Bells Beach tle; Back to back tles, Billabong Pro Brazil twice, US Open of Surfing, Roxy Pro France, the Subaroo Pro New Zealand and World Junior Title 2007. Sally is a natural footer, and credits her style to being able to adapt to whatever condions are thrown her way, “I currently ride a 5’8” Firewire Suroard for my general performance surfing and they have developed a Sally Fitzgibbons Pro model board that is very similar to this that the public can order.” Beyond the surfer Sally aests to being an avid sports lover and enjoys Soccer, Touch Football, Basketball, Hockey, Athlecs 800m and 1500m, Cross Country running and of course surfing, “My older brothers and I competed at everything which is where I got my compeve insnct built into me. Eventually Soccer, Athlecs and Surfing started to clash when I reached Australian representave levels in all of them and it just came down to picking the sport that I felt would feed that Compeve hunger and passion I had of becoming a World Champion.” She explains how hard it was leaving her compeve running behind aſter having a great result in the Youth Olympics where she won Gold medals in the 800m and 1500m but she was drawn to the challenge of surfing and focussed on that and the results speak for themselves. And when it comes to preparaon for an event? “My blue print for compeng and preparaon leading into compeon puts me in a great mind set leading into the event,” she explains, “I have a roune and just monitor how my body is feeling and weigh up what surf condions we are expecng and go from there. You have to be flexible around events and adapt really quickly to changes or surf condions that pop up.” Training is serious and involves surf sessions at all different mes of the day to get used to the break she will be facing and then she prefers a wide variety of land based sessions. For cardio she runs, swims, bikes, boxes, skips and parcipates in strength work in the Gym. “I put in extras in around the main sessions depending on how the day is going, like yoga, stretching or skateboarding. I have really busy days which is something I’ve always enjoyed.” Complemenng her very acve lifestyle with a very basic diet, Sally reveals that a difficulty she faces is that she’s lactose intolerant and so has to adapt her diet around that, “It rules out a lot of the tradional treat and splurge foods but I love blueberries and really exoc fruits so I treat myself to them,” “Three meals a day with snacks and fruit and vegetables with quality proteins are my stables,” she connues, “Chicken soup is actually one of my favourites as is avocado on some nice fresh bread and I use eggs and Red Bull – although not necessarily together- for addion energy on the super long days when I’m bouncing from surfing to interviews and then to evening funcons.”