City surfer riding the wave of victory
I’m so happy to have won the world title, especially against tough competition in a close heat
Ant Smyth Champion surfer
THE South African Adaptive Surf Team returned home last week after a successful trip to the US competing in the World Adaptive Surfing Championships.
With a record number of entries from 24 countries, the city of San Diego played host to the event.
There were multiple categories at the event ranging from Visually Impaired (AS-VI) to the least mobile category for quadriplegics (AS-5 Assist) in the five-day event.
Cape Town adaptive surfer, Ant Smyth, was in a class of his own as he claimed the gold medal and the title of World Champion in the AS-1 division.
“I’m so happy to have won the world title, especially against tough competition in a close heat,” Smyth said.
“It is very rewarding,” he added. The second medal won by South Africa was from Grace Anderson, who earned a well-deserved silver medal and the first for a South African female adaptive surfer in the AS-1 category.
“The moment I realised I’d won the silver medal was the moment I was sure I was dreaming.
“Finishing second in the world among a record number of women made it all the more special.
“The whole experience made me incredibly proud of being beautifully flawed,” said Anderson.|