“I Couldn't Get Out of Bed for SIX Weeks”: Champion Surfer Lucy Campbell on Burnout, Prioritising Rest and Learning to Slow Down

But yeah, how have things changed?

I think it's changed so much in the time that I've been in the sport.

I think as I was coming up, like as a teenager, I was told so many times that I would never be able to make it as a professional surfer because I didn't have the image that sponsorship would be looking for.

So kind of then you... sponsorship relied on you to be modelling for their brand as well.

So you sort of had to be a bikini model, basically.

But that narrative's changed so much.

I think as women's sport has been championed across all areas, it's been the same in surfing.

And I think it's so much more... as though having social media, you can control your image so much more and you can have sort of your own brand identity.

I think the sport as a whole is so much more focused on talent or achievements or your style in surfing, whatever it may be.

I think it's still got a long way to come and there's still, I mean, probably in all sports as well, but it has progressed massively over the time that I've been in the sport.

Which is really good to hear.

But, you know, it's also that kind of, it's so sad to hear that you as a young person were kind of told, well, actually, no, you don't have the right image to ever make it as a professional.

Because that must have been so disheartening.

And it's just,

you know, because you're an athlete, it's a sport.

Why should it have to do with your appearance?

Yeah, surely they should want me for my talent rather than the hard work and grit that I'm willing to put in rather than just the way that I look.

Yeah, yeah.

I'm really glad to hear that it's changed because it's, you know, I suppose it's...

On the whole, I think for women, we're kind of fed that message from a young age anyway, that our appearance is so important and that we should be so worried about it.

And this is what our body should look like.

And this is what our hair should be like.

And this is what that should be like.

And this is what gave you the kind of strength to continue after hearing that.

I think I just loved the sport so much that I was just going to do it anyway kind of thing.