Sally Fitzgibbons Interview

Sally Fitzgibbons Interview

Speaking glowingly of her younger rivals, it's easy to forget that Sally Fitzgibbons is barely into her 20s.

A child prodigy who dreamed of emulating seven-time world champion Layne Beachley, Fitzgibbons has gone from two-time junior world champion to ASP world No.2 in the space of half a decade. Such a familiar face on tour is the product of Gerroa - a quiet coastal town on NSW's South Coast - that one could be forgiven for thinking Fitzgibbons is an ASP veteran.

'It feels like I'm the wise old duck and I'm still pretty much a kid," says Fitzgibbons, who holds the record for shortest time ever to qualify for the world tour, in 2008. 'Man, it's gone so quick. It's crazy. I'm only a few years out of my teens and already I've got girls coming to me for advice! But I love it."

And why wouldn't they? Fitzgibbons is one of the hardest working athletes in world sport. Addicted to any form of competition that involves a bat, ball, watercraft or finishing line, the ever-energetic Fitzgibbons lives for sport and for perfection. When she's not on tour, you won't find her shopping or attending a plethora of parties and events but instead doing anything possible to get an edge on her rivals.

There's the Mark Webber Tasmania Challenge, where she spent a week traversing hundreds of kilometres of tricky terrain on foot, by bike and aboard whitewater skis and rafts to test her endurance. There's the Red Bull Dance Camp where she trained suspended by wires from the side of a building to increase her aerobatic skills, the Red Bull Surf Survival Camp where she undertook breathing training to maximise her performance output and the Dubai wave pool trip with Red Bull in 2012 to perfect her aerial manoeuvres. Sally Fitzgibbons is literally in it to win it.

'I remember when Layne was on tour still and she was the wise old duck," Fitzgibbons says. 'Even if she wasn't surfing good that day, she could still win by putting pressure on competitors and getting out of situations. She worked so hard and grew from every experience. She was my inspiration - and now every extra bit of hard work and experience really helps me. I love the surfer-on-surfer format and the challenge of surfing to the conditions best to get the win and the edge on your rival. I'm a competitor."

Always a bundle of smiles, if there's one word most would use to describe Fitzgibbons, it's passionate. While surfing is her true love, Fitzgibbons was no stranger to running the track, the soccer field or a sneaky representative game of touch football.

At the same time she was setting the junior surfing tour alight as a bright-eyed youngster in Wollongong, Fitzgibbons was dominating the running track and scoring a plethora of gold medals at national and Youth Olympics level. Slumber parties were a rarity in the Fitzgibbons household, the youngest of four siblings training day and night to get the better of her three big brothers in the water and her rivals on the grass. Ask childhood friend and men's world tour surfer Owen Wright or anyone who grew up alongside Fitzgibbons and they're quick to point out she was a tomboy from day one, always determined to outpoint the big brothers she idolised so much. Nowadays, they idolise her.

"It all really begun when I was five years old, a tiny little grom," says Fitzgibbons, who entered her first surfing competition as age 11 and won it with a perfect 10. "We lived right on the beach and Dad and my older brothers would always be surfing or in the water doing something. There wasn't much to do in Gerroa if you didn't like the beach, so Mum and Dad used to take us down there and we'd pretty much spend the whole day there until it was dark. For as long as I can remember I always wanted to do what my older brothers did and if they surfed, I wanted to surf. If they played soccer, I wanted to play soccer. We were pretty big on sport. But my brothers didn't want their annoying little sister around so Dad had to teach me and he used to push me along the river on a big mal. I loved it. Even in those days I always wanted to be a professional athlete and work as hard as I could to make sport my living."

And at age 1, with the junior tour begging, Fitzgibbons put her Olympic aspirations aside and begun her rapid rise to the ASP women's world tour. Fitzgibbons joined the tour in 2009 as a teenager and only injury prevented her from being in the title race that season. But ever since, it's only been a handful of points that has separated the three-times runner-up from the title she desires so much.

'I love my surfing as much as ever - and as long as I'm still climbing that mountain, I can't give up until I reach the top. I won't," she says. 'Five years on I just feel so much more comfortable. It feels like I'm supposed to be on the tour. There are instincts and routines that are set and you can enjoy what's around you a bit more. The first couple of years there was so much pressure on results and winning because you're fighting for sponsors and you're up against older girls, not just juniors. It takes a while to find your way. But I've enjoyed the journey so far and I can't wait to see what's to come."

Fitzgibbons is outspoken about the plight of women's surfing, often going in to bat for her comrades in the name of equality. And with her infectious lust for life, endearing charm and clean-living lifestyle, she has become not just an amazing surfer but the ultimate role model.

She's never had a drink, never tried a cigarette and the only speeding ticket Fitzgibbons has every received in her Mini was courtesy of dad, Martin. Hence why the NSW South Coast hero is an Arrive Alive ambassador, a supporter of numerous charities and the reigning Australian Bachelorette of the Year.

'I've got so much energy and passion, I don't need any other stimulants to get me excited – one Red Bull and I turn in to Super Sal," Fitzgibbons says with a chuckle. 'I'm a designated driver, an early riser, a competitor and I wouldn't have it any other way."

Interview with Sally Fitzgibbons

Question: What's your favourite thing about surfing?

Sally Fitzgibbons: Every day I go down to the beach, there is a new set of challenges. My office is forever changing.


Question: Can you tell us how you got into surfing?

Sally Fitzgibbons: My dad and three older brothers all surfed and I grew up by the beach so it was natural for me to become a water baby.


Question: How did you go about turning a hobby into a career?

Sally Fitzgibbons: Since I was about 8 years old I wanted to become a professional athlete. I played every sport under the sun, including surfing. Surfing naturally picked me. I've solely focussed on surfing from the age of 16 and never looked back.


Question: Was there a moment when you knew you had made it as a surfer?

Sally Fitzgibbons: It was a really natural progression on to the world tour but it was a really defining moment winning my first world tour event in Bells Beach in 2011. It had a really special meaning being the 50th anniversary of the event and one of the most prestigious trophies in the surfing world.


Question: What is the biggest challenge you have faced?

Sally Fitzgibbons: Overcoming a lower back injury in my first event on my first year on tour was pretty hard to come to terms with. But after six months of extremely hard work, I bounced back the fittest I've ever been and have been pushing forward ever since. And it was really rewarding to finish runner up for the world title the very next year.

Question: Can you tell us about your daily training schedule?

Sally Fitzgibbons: It's forever changing with all of the travel I do. But a day consists of two to three surf sessions, a cardio session (running, biking, and swimming) and a couple of hours at the gym. There are so many different elements to train in the sport of surfing. I love working hard to ensure that no stones are left unturned.


Question: Does this daily routine change during competition preparation?

Sally Fitzgibbons: Leading in to the events I tend to taper gym and cardio work to ensure I'm fresh. With surfing, the location I will be in during the event (including all of the different tides and winds etc), it's very important to ensure that I'm on top of things before the event starts.


Question: Have you always been a competitive person?

Sally Fitzgibbons: Coming from a family of three older brothers who were all very sporty, we naturally competed in everything – even if it was to get to the dinner table first. This shaped me in to the athlete I am today.


Question: Why do you choose to not drink or smoke?

Sally Fitzgibbons: For me it's a lifestyle choice to compliment all my hard work chasing my dream to become world champion. I love going out with all of my friends, to celebrate and party, but all I need is a Red Bull to keep up with them on the dance floor and drive them home safe.


Question: Why did you choose to become a Red Bull ambassador?
Sally Fitzgibbons: Not only do I believe in the Red Bull product but also in what the brand is all about – performing my best to become a better athlete. So it was a natural step for me when I became part of the Red Bull family.


Question: What has been your most memorable surfing moment?

Sally Fitzgibbons: Hard to choose just one but you never forget catching your very first wave – my dad pushing me on a long board at the river mouth at Seven Mile Beach. I was hooked from the very first wave.


Question: You travel a lot for competitions, what are the five most important things you take, when traveling?

Sally Fitzgibbons: My Firewire surf boards, my Roxy bikinis, a fit ball, my pillow and important notes from friends and family to support me on the road.


Question: What do you do when you're not at the beach?

Sally Fitzgibbons: I'm a sports fanatic so I'll be watching sports or going to the games with friends and family.


Question: Do you have any pre-competition rituals?

Sally Fitzgibbons: I rub sand between my hands and under my feet before I paddle out so I'm connected with each location I'm going to surf.


Question: What is the first thing you think of when you wake up in the morning?

Sally Fitzgibbons: It's going to be another epic day!


Interview by Brooke Hunter