The 2018 World Adaptive Surfing Championship

Being an adaptive surfing athlete has taught me many things, mainly to compete with myself and beat me day after day. We had very clear goals for the championship; some were not fulfilled like the medals, but the objective we worked for all year long we all achieved: we arrived at the IV World Adaptive Surfing Championship with a better version of ourselves.

The 2017 World Championship was a first experience: the cold water, getting to know other athletes, competing abroad. We all got sick and I also cracked a rib training on location. This 2018 was different: I already knew what I was doing, I trained hard all year. Kotex® sponsored me and I could afford a kick-ass hand-made board by Jefferson Tascon, and although I still felt insecure, I also felt more prepared.

To the 2018 World Championship I arrived feeling stronger than the previous year, but I won no medal for my country. It was hard, I cried when I got out of the semifinal hit, I made a mistake and fell from the wave that would have taken me to the finals. We all suffered. We all live the joys and sorrows of the rest of the team members.

We are more than a sport team. Adaptive Surfing Costa Rica is a family that crosses the borders of our country. Our passion is joined by people and entire families from other countries, who give us words of encouragement, support us to raise funds, let us borrow surfboards, wetsuits, and even bring us food. We share with them moments of joy and sadness, not only during the World Championship, but also throughout the year. We are part of each other, we are part of something that is much bigger than each one individually, we know this and we appreciate it!

This 2019, I’m much more driven, training more, looking for more chances to compete. I want to grow; I want to win, not only for myself, but for those who accompany us in this adventure, and for those yet to come. I want to promote more sports spaces for people with disabilities, I want to influence and inspire. Adaptive surfing, my peers, and coaches have helped me to be a better version of myself. I still have a lot to learn and much to improve, but I know that with perseverance, effort, love and support from people around me, the sky is the limit.

To read this post in spanish, follow this link: El Mundial de Surf Adaptado 2018