At Portugal’s Nazare beach, where thrill-seekers come to catch some of the world’s biggest waves, Brazilian surfer Maya Gabeira has made a comeback, little more than two years after her near-death wipeout there.
“I needed to come back, even if I wasn’t sure about doing this,” the 28-year-old said after “working out” in mere 5m waves at Praia do Norte, or North Beach, late last month.
The Rio de Janeiro native, a five-time winner of the Billabong XXL big wave surfing award, fell in love with surfing big waves at 17, during a trip to the US island state of Hawaii.
PHOTO: REUTERS
In 2009, she won the Excellence in Sports Performance Yearly Award for best female athlete, going on that year to surf the biggest wave ever by a woman, successfully riding a 14m wave at Dungeons, in South Africa.
“I feel everything is possible, because of the way I’ve conquered things in a super masculine environment, in a super intense and dangerous sport,” she said. “I’ve always practiced a lot and have always been very focused.”
Gabeira came to Nazare last month to attempt once more to conquer the waves that nearly took her life on Oct. 28, 2013.
PHOTO: AFP
As she was trying to set a new record for biggest wave ever surfed by a woman, Gabeira fell on the face of another wave at full speed, breaking her leg and blacking out.
She was rescued by fellow Brazilian charger Carlos Burle, who brought her to shore, where she was resuscitated.
“I would like to say that I no longer think of it, but the memory remains,” she said, smiling.
PHOTO: AFP
Nazare, the fishing town and seaside resort located 130km north of Lisbon, is famous for its big waves. It came to worldwide recognition when in 2011, American Garrett McNamara beat the world record of the tallest wave ever surfed — a massive estimated 24m.
Since then, Nazare has become a go-to spot for the sport’s most daring athletes, as well as for tourists who come to watch them.
Praia do Norte gets its big waves from a geological fault called the “Nazare canyon” that propels the waves that swell from the Atlantic Ocean to the coast.
Gabeira said she refuses to give up her pursuit of “the unforgettable moment when you can reach and even exceed your limits.”
“These are the experiences that transform us, as much in success as in failure,” Gabeira said, adding that she is aware that she is putting her life in danger when surfing the big waves at Nazare.
“She is a perfect example of somebody who overcomes their fears to live out their passion,” McNamara said.
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