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Soli Bailey has been making a big impression in the surf world for a while now. In 2017, he won the Volcom Pipe Pro at the age of 21. Most recently, he won the inaugural Natural Selection Surf event. Some time in between those two, he also managed to almost rip his nipple off. In the past few months, though, the Australian surfer has been uncharacteristically quiet. As he posted to social media last week, the reason for that turned out to be due to a neck injury he suffered while surfing in Hawaii in February.
“I have seen my physical health and my future flash before my eyes,” wrote Bailey on Instagram. “What began as discomfort turned out to be something far more serious, where a disc in my cervical spine had ruptured and was pushing directly into my spinal, cord causing compression and symptoms in my arms. (I’ve been facing) the very real possibility that my life may never look the same again.
“Since then, it’s been a heavy journey mentally, emotionally, and physically. Countless scans, opinions, and setbacks eventually led me to undergo spinal surgery this week. Now on the other side, I have something I haven’t had in months; a path forward in my recovery. I am grateful to have an incredible support crew around me, including a brilliant medical team, my fiancé, family and sponsors who believe in my recovery as much as I do.
“This is just the beginning of the road back not only to surfing, but to full health. I’m glad to see the light at the end of the tunnel. I’ll be sharing more of the journey as I go, the highs and the lows.”
