Bold Moves

Talking bold and owning your voice: With Layne Beachley

I sat down to interview one of my favourite Aussie women, Layne Beachley.

Layne Beachley AO is regarded as the most successful female surfer in history. Eight times World Champion, she was instrumental in battling to get equal pay for women, which was introduced in 2019 through the World Surf League — a monumental milestone in world sport.

For the past 15 years Layne has, through the Layne Beachley Foundation, provided scholarships to young Australian women.

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Living a bold life means knowing who you are. By that I mean having a really strong connection with who you are and what you stand for. And then standing up for what you believe in.

To work this out, and what it really means for me, has taken me a lot of reflection, experience and failure. You know, I think about the girl growing up at Manly beach, surfing from the age of four and having that passion for surfing but also the tenacity to continue entering a hostile and threatening environment. Having that clarity of vision around wanting to be the best I can possibly be. And then surrounding myself with the support that’s required for me to achieve that vision. So, in saying that, it takes passion, tenacity, vision and support to really show up like that.

I think about all the different times when I’ve struggled to break through certain challenges or obstacles, and then the skills or the toolbox that I’ve needed to open up and grab hold of to help push me through ...