‘TIME TO CLEAN UP OUR ACTS’
Champion surfer Stephanie Gilmore is pushing for social change, writes Angira Bharadwaj
When Aussie surf star Stephanie Gilmore stepped on to the serene beaches of Bali, she wasn’t expecting to find what was beneath the stunning waters.
“There were disturbing amounts of trash – the worst thing I’ve seen was paddling in Bali and getting handfuls and handfuls of plastic trash,” she said.
“And in Mozambique, we were on these long stretches of secluded beaches with no one there – and it’s just covered in plastic.
“In Bali, at least there were people causing the trash but in Mozambique, where there were no people, it was disturbing to see.”
The seven-time world champion has just returned home from winning the World Surf League’s Corona Bali Protected contest.
“Bali was awesome, we had a really successful event – but as a surfer we see the damage we are doing to the Earth every day,” she said.
“Bali should be paradise but its just covered in plastic every single time. It’s my duty as a surfer to do something about it.”
Indonesia is the secondlargest contributor of ocean plastic pollution after China. The island nation is drowning in plastic bags, with as many as 10 million entering circulation every day.
To counter this, Bali implemented an island-wide single-use plastic ban in January.
Gilmore is backing the initiative by partnering with brands Corona and Parley to donate 20,000 reusable bags made from ocean plastic to help raise awareness about the biggest threat to her turf. The Tweed Heads local – who began surfing at the age 10 – understands that it’s harder for people to see the damage when they live away from the ocean and that’s why she’s speaking up. “People who don’t live by the ocean don’t realise that your trash will end up in the sea regardless,” she explains. “I just think people need to be more conscious.” Gilmore’s goal is to donate one reusable bag to every household in Bali. Aside from spreading the word on ocean conservation, the star surfer is currently focused on making it to the 2020 Olympics – where surfing will be included for the first time. “I never thought in my career that I’d ever get to be in the Olympics because surfing was never included,” she said.
“To sit alongside the Ian Thorpes and the Stephanie Rices will be a dream. Growing up I was inspired by the likes of Cathy Freeman and seeing the things she was capable of doing. ”
The 31-year-old hopes to replicate this ability to inspire young girls by being vocal about the ups and downs of being a female athlete. While she’s adamant that she has always stayed true to herself, the surfer admits it can be hard.
“I feel like, as surfers,
there is a stereotype that you sometimes have to fit into but I’ve always stayed true to who I am,” she said. “I think it’s amazing that female athletes can be fierce and strong and powerful but also sexy and glamorous. As long as that image is what they want and not forced by brands.”
Earlier this year, fellow Aussie athlete Tayla Harris was trolled on social media for a photo she posted and Gilmore said this pressure to look good doesn’t fall the same way on male athletes.
But her message to those looking to follow her footsteps is this: Don’t lose perspective.
“The pressure (to look a certain way) is definitely there. Social media pressures girls to often do things just for the aesthetic,” she said.
Gilmore said the decision not to fit into a particular mould may have affected the way her career has shaped up. But given her stellar record, she’s not complaining.
“I’m sure there were certain opportunities that didn’t come to fruition because I didn’t fit the bill of what they wanted,” she says.
“But it’s important to me to be able to be aligned with brands that I want to work with. It’s all about your perspective.”
AS A SURFER WE SEE THE DAMAGE WE ARE DOING STEPH GILMORE