After a few trips and an hard training I realized surfing was becoming my real passion and, therefore, a way to truly express myself. Therefore I decided to reach a higher goal and registered to the national circuit of Costa Rica.
It was a bold choice as this is the most important competition of Costa Rica and the best local and international athletes would be there, but I wanted to test myself and understand what competing in surf really meant.
Well, once my subscription was confirmed I felt really excited just thinking that I would take part in such an important contest.
The more the competition got closer, the more I felt agitated but also happy. Finally the day before the competition arrived, it was the day I learnt who my rivals would be and the time of my heat. As soon as I had all the info I came back home, made a light dinner and went to sleep early. But I couldn’t sleep as my body was already full of adrenaline. I woke up at 4 a.m. and, half asleep, I went to check the conditions of the Ocean. I remember that when I reached the beach I noticed the Ocean was more active than the previous day and some sets were pretty big.
But that was my day and I couldn’t back down.
So I started relaxing through some breathing techniques, I listened to some good music and invited my friends over to get more motivation from their presence and support. I remember one of my friends in particular –who, sadly, passed away this year- who painted his shirt with the colors of the Italian flag and arrived at the beach super excited to see me compete. These people boosted my motivation and, even if I already knew that my level wouldn’t even be the same of my rivals, I felt happy and proud of being part of this great surfing event in Costa Rica.
When the moment of my heat came, my coach Luis suggested to do a good warm-up, I felt anxious but I also couldn’t wait to get into the water and do my best. My rivals and I went to get the Lycra and started paddling out, I saw my friends and my coach were watching me carefully and cheered me on from the beach.
I wasn’t able to relax until the first wave came in and from that moment the fun began
and I didn’t think about the judges watching our performance anymore. I remember that the condition was quite big, I felt so much pressure but, at the same time, had so much fun I almost forgot about the anxiety of the competition. I went back to the beach and consulted the scoreboard. I didn’t pass the heat but just participating to the National in Costa Rica was a big enough achievement for me.
This first contest was a beautiful experience for me, regardless of the result, because I learnt so many things I didn’t know before. The best lesson I learnt? Age doesn’t matter. If you love doing something and believe in it anything is possible. I took part to this competition when I was 25 and my rivals were all younger than me, but this was what I really wanted and therefore I had so much fun.
The secrets are will, perseverance and persistence: never give up, even when the outcome is not the one you wished for, you’ll always learn something.
Errors are our springboard to success.