Lane Beachley

I love competing.

I love putting on the rash vest.

I love challenging myself against other people and seeing where I'm at.

I love being challenged against Mother Nature and I love immersing myself in this environment.

But I've got a lot of work to do and I'm willing to invest in that to get the work done.

My dad has been my rock my whole life and a woman coming in is basically taking my place.

It's kind of creepy, isn't it?

But I just saw her as a threat.

I saw her as a threat to my safety, to my love, to my pillar of support.

And it wasn't until I was in my 20s that I realised that it was my judgement of her and my fear of losing my dad that actually pushed him away and prevented me from creating a very strong bond with my stepmother.

I was working for different jobs.

And it's interesting that you say, I'm going to prove to you that I can do it.

And

I feel that came, that mentality evolved over a long period of time from growing up in a male dominated household, losing my mother as a young age, being a tomboy and being very competitive and very outspoken and driven.

And then finding or navigating my way through the waves at Manly, which is the most appropriately named beach in the world.

It still is a very manly place.

And

Finding my tribe, you know, I was one of maybe three women that surfed at Manly at the time and it was very difficult or challenging to find any kind of supportive and protective role models and mentors that were my age or, you know, close to my age.

And so finding my way, even though it was challenging and I did have this mentality that if you're going to tell me that I can't, I'm going to turn around and say, watch me.

And that became my catch cry for a long period of time as well.