On Tuesday, Carissa Moore cemented her standing as the best surfer in the world when she became the first-ever gold medalist in women’s surfing during the event’s Olympic debut at the Tokyo Games.
Battling strong winds and a choppy swell brought in by Tropical Storm Nepartak, the four-time world champion and Honolulu native scored more waves than silver medalist Bianca Buitendag from South Africa during the final round at Tsurigasaki Beach.
With tears of joy streaming down her cheeks and an American flag draped around her neck, Moore, 28, was hoisted up on the shoulders of her support crew, celebrating an accomplishment that required even more mental fortitude with the absence of family members due to COVID-19 restrictions.
“I feel super blessed, super fortunate. It’s been an incredible experience,” Moore told NPR after her victory. The last few days, she said, had been a “roller coaster of emotions” as she’s tried to “figure out the break, find my rhythm, and learn how to trust myself without my family here.”
Heading into the final day of the competition, Moore told USA Today that she felt less than confident surfing in the challenging conditions, but the top-ranked athlete still found a way to perform at her best.
“Yeah, I don’t think that little self-doubt voice ever goes away,” Moore told the publication. “It’s just learning how to tell her to, ‘Hey, just be quiet for a little bit. I got this.’”
Learning to silence those bouts of self-doubt paid off when Moore carved her way to gold with a score of 14.93 to beat Buitendag, who finished second with 8.46.
The Olympics were not the first time Moore has been open about feelings of self-doubt while surfing. In an interview with Surfer last year, she named her own inner critic as the biggest hurdle she has faced throughout her career, but learning to lean on her inner circle helps the 11-time national champion cope.
“I feel like a lot of times, I’m standing in my own way, and I’m keeping myself from attaining my true potential,” she told Surfer. “It’s a constant challenge for me to find that inner confidence, and I think it’ll always be there, but I’m very lucky to have a good support crew through my family, my friends, my trainers, different coaches. To be surrounded with love is what really gets me through and helped me be the best that I can be.”
When she’s not winning world and Olympic titles, Moore is encouraging the next generation of female surfers. In 2018 she launched the Moore Aloha Charitable Foundation, a nonprofit that aims to “empower young women to be strong, confident, and compassionate individuals” through surfing camps that include activities promoting self-confidence and positive body image.
Moore’s Olympic gold adds to Team USA’s growing medal count in Tokyo. As of Tuesday, the U.S. has earned 25 medals, nine of which are gold.
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