Episode #387: Fighting Fear with Big Wave Surfer, Mark Mathews
Mark Mathews is a professional big wave surfer who has made a living surfing waves up to 50 feet big.
He is a Red Bull athlete, has won three Oakley Big Wave Awards, and has featured in several documentaries, including Fighting Fear, alongside UFC fighter Richie Vaculik, and the forthcoming On The Other Side of Fear.
While surfing in Tasmania, fifteen feet in front of a cliff in cold, shark infested waters, Mark hit a reef and instantly blacked out. Neck braced and hospital-ridden, he didn’t know if he could ever surf again.
We unpacked a whole lot in this 80 minute conversation, including:
- Mark’s childhood in the Sydney beachside suburb of Maroubra
- What makes a big wave surfer
- Near death experiences
- Recovering from a life and career-threatening injury
- Cultivating discipline and resilience in the surf and in life
You can also check out the video version of this podcast, complete with surf footage Mark and I refer to, at the new Future Squared YouTube channel, or below.
Topics Discussed:
- Childhood
- Where the motivation to surf big waves came from
- Affiliation with the Bra Boys
- What it’s like to ride and wipe out on a big wave
- Becoming a professional surfer
- Near death experiences
- The psychology of flow
- Goal-setting and feedback loops
- Getting back on the board after a near death experience
- Cultivating mental resilience
- Suffering a life and career threatening injury
- Mental and physical rehabilitation, and what Mark learned during this time
- An attitude of gratitude
- The Other Side Of Fear documentary
- Surfing at Jaws, Cyclops, and Shipstern’s Bluff
Show Notes:
IG: @markmathewssurf
LI: www.linkedin.com/in/mathewsmark
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Listen to Future Squared on Apple Podcasts goo.gl/sMnEa0
Also available on: Spotify, Google Podcasts, TuneIn, Stitcher and Soundcloud
Twitter: www.twitter.com/steveglaveski
Instagram: www.instagram.com/@thesteveglaveski
Future Squared: www.futuresquared.xyz
Steve Glaveski: www.steveglaveski.com
Medium: www.medium.com/@steveglaveski
Steve's book: www.employeetoentrepreneur.io
NEW Facebook group: www.facebook.com/groups/futuresquared/
Watch on YouTube: https://bit.ly/2N77FLx
GET COACHED BY LUCAS:
https://www.ergogenic.health/product/coaching