Taking to the waves in their forties, these women found new direction and a very special friendship.
You hear their laughter first, boisterous and infectious. It comes ringing up over the white foam of a breaking surf. Then you see them through a blur of sea spray – four women, clearly best friends, lugging their boards from the breakers.
“Surfing brought us together and now we’re The Naughty Four,” laughs Danielle DuBois. Danielle and her friends – Jillian Flitton, Debbie James and Sheree da Costa – all took up surfing in their mid forties. Shored up by that life-affirming feat, they’ve formed a special sisterhood born of long boards, a love of waves and the belief that age is no barrier.
And while they’re incredibly close, they’re from diverse backgrounds: Danielle is a marriage celebrant, Jillian teaches high school, Debbie’s a corporate business developer, while Sheree is a former prima ballerina. They have pooled their anecdotes about taking up surfing late in life to write the entertaining and empowering book, Taking The Drop.
“We want to inspire women to put themselves out there,” says mum-of-two Sheree. “You’ve got to keep putting yourself out there to discover new areas, and maybe try something you were scared to try.
“A lot of women come up to me when they see me coming out of the surf and say, ‘I’ve always wanted to try that.’ And I reply, ‘Why don’t you?’ They’ll often say, ‘I’m afraid of the water,’ and I’ll reply, ‘So was I when I was 45.’
“It’s about not stagnating – physically, mentally and emotionally. Find something that is going to expand your horizons and give you a whole new lease on life. It can be painting, walking, for us it was surfing, and it can lead you to some stunning friendships – people you wouldn’t have met otherwise.”
While fun certainly doesn’t dwell too far from this fab four, Taking The Drop also lets the reader in on the women’s personal battles – divorce, menopause, cancer, raising kids.
“Sure you may get dumped, but you get back on life’s board again and keep paddling towards your passions,” says Debbie.
Adds a beaming Jillian, “And remember, life is for living, whatever your age.”
To buy Taking The Drop, visit www.vividpublishing.com.au/takingthedrop.
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