Maya Gabeira Shares The Challenges She Had To Overcome On Her Journey

Professional big wave surfer and Tag Heuer ambassador Maya Gabeira shares the challenges she had to overcome on her journey towards success

- Evigan Xiao

There is an old saying by Theodore Roosevelt Jr.: “Nothing worth having ever comes easy.” Successful individuals are no strangers to hard work and perseverance, though it is worth pointing out that some aspects of life are harder than others for certain people. Women are a rising force in the workplace but are still a fair ways away from becoming equally represented in top-level positions. Operating in a traditionally male-dominated industry is challenging enough; rising to the top within constitutes a true achievement and signals a huge step forward.

In the world of big wave surfing, the name Maya Gabeira carries a celebrity status. Consistently ranked as one of the top 10 best female surfers, she also set the record last year for surfing the largest wave, for both men and women. Gabeira’s success is the result of a fiery combination of bravado and tenaciousness, which was tempered in a crucible wrought during a time when female surfers were only a nascent concept. She has come a long way since then, forging multiple surfing records and becoming an ambassador for Swiss watch brand TAG Heuer. Here, Gabeira reveals what her journey towards success was like and the challenges she had to overcome.

You hold the record for several firsts, from being the first woman to surf the Alaskan Sea (2008) as well as surfing the largest wave ever (2020). Did you have any strong role models growing up? What lessons drove you to achieve success?