MICK VS SHARK 2
THIS TIME DISCRETION THE BETTER PART OF VALOUR
MICK FANNING’S mum has revealed the emotional text message she sent him moments after seeing the champion surfer endure yet another shark scare at South Africa’s Jeffreys Bay.
Two years after famously punching a shark on the South African leg of the world tour, Fanning was one of four surfers plucked from the same break yesterday after a 3m beast was spotted moving towards them from 700m away.
Watching the situation unfold live from her Tweed lounge, Liz Osborne did not waste a second reaching out to her boy via a touching text message she has shared with the Bulletin.
“Well Micko, so pleased they saw it this time,” she wrote. “A bit scary really but thank God you were OK. Anyway champ, you did so well. Proud of you. Such an amazing athlete and person. Love you.”
Ms Osborne said her son, who went on to lose the quarter-final, phoned her as soon as he was on dry land.
“He rang me on Facetime straight afterwards and said ‘All good, Mum, don’t worry, they were so on to it’,” she said.
“He also wanted to know I was OK … I’m so privileged my children are very loving towards me. Things have been tough for us occasionally and we just stick together and support each other, which is really beautiful.”
A mother of five, Ms Osborne has previously lost two sons to tragedy. Twentyyear-old Sean died in a car crash in 1998, while 43-year-old Peter’s heart failed due to a hyperthyroid problem in 2015.
While such heartache might cause some mothers to express concerns about their sons surfing ‘sharky’ waters, Ms Osborne said her loss had had the opposite effect.
“I’ve lost two boys and I’m not prepared to ever put that (pressure) on my children, to say I’m scared about them doing something,” she said.
“They have to follow their dreams. I know I have. It’s unfortunate when someone who loses a loved one concentrates their grief all the time because everyone else misses out.
“I have to think about the rest of the family – my children and grandchildren – and have enough courage to keep that love in my heart and not just think about the past.” Fanning was taken aback when shown footage of the shark from yesterday’s encounter, which was the second in two days at the notorious break.
“That thing is a beast,” he said. “Those things are just submarines. However long they are, the roundness of them as well … they are big, big beasts.”
Ms Osborne said she had felt tense in the lead-up to the incident.
“When Mick and Gabby (Gabriel Medina) got in the water, the waves diminished a lot and I don’t like J-Bay when there are big lulls because that’s when the sharks come in,” she said.
“Mick was sitting out there for quite a long time waiting for a wave (and) was even wearing the blue shirt like last time ... I wasn’t absolutely scared but it looked very ominous.
“I must say the crew with the jet skis and drones were amazing … they used to be a bit blasé, especially at J-Bay, and it’s unbelievable my son happened to be the catalyst for the wonderful operation they now have to make sure all the surfers are OK.”