One of the most prominent tow surfers in the world, the German Sebastian Steudner, former winner of the XXL award for the biggest wave, shared the images that kept him out of the water for two months and a strong optimistic message for his followers.

The accident left him with a dislocated collarbone, fractured ribs and torn muscles in his neck and chest.

In his message, and on video, Steudner says that he saw a friend of Maya Gabeira paddling and decided to give him space. When the wave passed, he let go of his board and it flew straight towards him.

“My right arm prevented the damage to my face but redirected all the force to my chest. My thoughts were, ‘All the preparation with the season ahead of me for nothing’… I had to go to months of physical therapy and painful work. I was starting to get nervous about missing big days but I reminded myself to stick to what I can control. My workout routine. I calmed down and was persistent, day by day with little progress I can now surf again after two months,” he said.

She added: “For everyone struggling right now, keep your head up and focus on what you can control, forget about everything that is not in your hands. Small steps are key and celebrate each one as a success. Keep a healthy routine that allows you to progress. Stay positive and go!”

In his latest stories today, Steudner was in Portugal, celebrating his return to the water with a foil.

 

 

See this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Sebastian Steudtner (@sebastiansurfs)