She has the unique kind of determination and work ethic that you only find in world-class athletes, and her six national gold medals speak volumes to this. But winning isn’t the only experience of being an elite athlete, and with the highs come the crushing lows.

1. Strong Women: Surfing taught me how to fail – and come back stronger
Comment
Natalie Morris
Wednesday 10 Jun 2020 8:00 am
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Six-time British surfing champion Lucy Campbell knows how to win.
She has the unique kind of determination and work ethic that you only find in world-class athletes, and her six
national gold medals speak volumes to this.
But winning isn’t the only experience of being an elite athlete, and with the highs come the crushing lows.
But to Lucy, the lows are more than worth it. Surfing is her life, and with every challenge, setback or
disappointment, she uses that to learn and come back stronger. She says her passion for the sport is what drives
Lucy has loved the ocean since she was a little girl (Picture: Laurent Masurel)
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2. her forward.
‘I’ve always been a pretty sporty person,’ Lucy tells Metro.co.uk.
‘I was always at the a er school sports clubs, having a crack at everything, and I love the thought of learning new
skills. Fitness is a massive part of my life – I’ve always enjoyed running, and staying fit is absolutely key in surfing
when you’re competing.
‘With surfing, I love the fact that every day is different. The conditions are always changing and every wave that
you catch will never be the same.
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3. ‘To excel in surfing you have to adapt all the time and in that sense, I guess it never gets boring. When I first tried
it, it was incredibly tough, but that hardship now makes it feel like such a big achievement.
‘I know some people can make it look easy but it takes many years of practice.’
Lucy started surfing when she was just 10 years old, with her dad and brother – and she instantly loved anything
to do with the water.
‘During my teenage years, I was running and surfing at the same time whilst also training to be a lifeguard,’ she
says.
Before turning professional, Lucy worked several jobs for years to fit around her training. At times she worked 16-
hour days through the summer, teaching in surf school from 9-5, before a bar shi until 1 am.
She would be exhausted by the end of the summer, but it meant she could get consistent waves and train
through the winter.
Lucy almost made it to the Olmpics as a runner – but then she got injured (Picture: Dryrobe)
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4. She would spend every penny she earned to fund competing and training, she even had to fund her own way to
the World Games in Japan.
‘It was a pretty chaotic time, especially during my GCSEs and A-levels as I was competing too,’ says Lucy. ‘The
sport provided me with a really good balance so I’m thankful for that.’
Lucy says one of the biggest challenges she has faced in sport was moving from British level championships to
international level.
‘It’s a big leap and getting to grips with that can be really challenging,’ she explains.
Lucy’s Olympic hopes are on hold for now because of coronavirus (Picture: Laurent Masurel)
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