When did you first realise you wanted to become a professional surfer?
When I was about eight years old I knew I wanted to become an Olympic Gold medallist or a world champion.
With ‘professional athlete’ stuck in my head I set out trying any and all sports I could get my hands on including soccer, touch football, surf lifesaving, surfing, hockey, basketball, athletics and cross country running and swimming, to name a few.
I loved them all but representative duties started to clash around the age of 15 and I had to ping pong my way across the country.
So it was when I was 16, I needed to commit to one sport and it came down to running track (800m and 1500m) where I won two gold medals at the Youth Olympics and surfing where I was already achieving great results as a pro junior and on a professional contract.
It was surfing in the end that I felt naturally picked me and I set out on my path to become world champion as a surfer.
What are your top three tips for staying fit?
1. Routine – making exercise a part of your day to day routine not just a one off. It’s not easy but I know you can stick at it.
2. Variety – mix it up. There is a huge variety of different activities you can do for your training. Be adventurous, use your surroundings and have a lot of fun with it.
3. Goals – set some goals and challenge yourself. Pair up with friends or a training group and use the positive energy from others to push you when are hurting and trying to push through to that next level.
Sally Fitzgibbons doing what she does best.
You say you have a simple and holistic approach to healthy living, what does your average day consist of?
I’m am very fortunate that I get to train and be active for a living but my simple blue print for healthy living is:
Exercise daily
Eat a nutrient-packed diet stacked with loads of fruit and veggies, quality proteins and meats of all varieties. Lots of water and regular small meals through the day.
Allocate time for yourself in the day to distress and meditate.
Live your passion. Go after that dream or what makes you happy.
Smile as you navigate through the toughest journey that is life.
There is never one secret ingredient to a healthy and happy lifestyle. It is a mixture of many small things done well and done every day. I am constantly working to get the balance of everything just right for that moment in my life.
Your book, Live Like Sally, has lots of fabulous recipes. Which is your favourite and why?
Being on the road for nearly 10 months a year you get to experiment a lot and I now love to cook. My favourite recipe from the book is, The Rainbow Salad, because no matter where I travel to I can get my hands on some really fresh veggies and whip up my favourite salad. It tastes different and amazing every time.
The surfer loves to run and (inset) her book.
Travel is a big part of your life as a professional surfer. If you could only go back to one destination where would it be?
I have been to some amazing and unforgettable locations around the world and I love that my scenery to train and surf in is always different. If I could only go back to one location I would have to say the Maldives. It is was my first ever overseas surf trip with my family when I was 11-years-old and I returned to shoot a lot of my book, Live Like Sally there, so it holds a special place in my heart.
Where do you hope to be in five years?
I have been on the surfing World Tour for six years now and I have been runner up to the world title three times so to becoming world champion still remains as my ultimate goal.
After completing two major projects while competing; my book Live Like Sally and a documentary with Red Bull Media House, ‘Sally: Behind The Smile‘, it made me realise that I have achieved quite a bit already but it recently gave me cause to ask the exact question you pose.
At the end of 2014 I left my major sponsor of 10 years, Roxy, and I have decided to start my own brand which is really exciting.
I’m not exactly sure what it is going to look like yet as it is still taking shape but it will reflect the way I live and be a mixture of fitness, lifestyle and surf. I hope to bring my brand and my dream to fruition in the next five years.
