Coco Ho, Lakey Peteron, and Carissa Moore. Three women who know fitness.
Unlike their male counterparts that made up the list 5 Dudes You Should Be Taking Health and Fitness Tips From, the women in pro surfing who keep their eyes on the prize by focusing on health are usually subject to a whole different criteria.
In scouring the internet for female surfers who charge as hard in the gym as they do the produce section, you’re more likely to find the 10 Hottest Surfers or Sexiest Bikini Bodies than anything that applauds their holistic living. From Lakey Peterson running marathons to Sally Fitzgibbons writing books, here are five ladies whose brains we’d like to pick about stepping up our fitness game.
She’s not doing this for surfing–she’s doing this for living. Photo: Sally Fitzgibbons/Instagram
1. Sally Fitzgibbons
Sally was clearly born to stand out. Before she ever won Bells twice or became one of Australia’s favorite professional athletes, she was a national champion runner. In fact, the early riser makes it a point to get in a basic cardio session each morning before her first surf. Whether she’s working on little sleep, battling a hellish travel schedule, or adjusting to time zones all over the world, she doesn’t let anything get in the way of her bright-eyed and bushy-tailed ways. And she doesn’t drink, which not only saves her from the AM hangover, but is also just another piece of the puzzle in her brand as a truly healthy athlete, inside and out. While many of the men that made this list train to better their surfing, Sally Fitz just flat out seems to live the life whether it helps her pursuit of a world title or not.
Lakey Legend, kettle belling it. Photo: Lakey Peterson/Willie Kessel
2. Lakey Peterson
Lakey has been on the surf world’s radar for so long it’s easy to forget she’s still just 20-years-old. The story goes when Lakey was just 12-years-old, learning to surf for the first time on a family vacation, Aussie locals dubbed her “Lakey Legend” because she made it look so easy. The young lady is a natural, but she doesn’t seem to be resting her laurels on athletic prowess. She trains her ass off, and a lot of it is paid forward to the millions of eyes on her at all times. Teen Vogue, LiveStrong and Nike are just a few of the countless companies and publications that will regularly team up with Lakey to get her scoop on anything from a random healthy recipe to insight on how she trains for marathons. And the best part? She’ll soon have it all gathered and available to inquiring minds through her own fitness blog. Fist pump for Lakey!
It’s about developing the right mindset and finding motivation that makes staying fit less of a chore. Photo:Six Star Protein
3. Coco Ho
Number three on the list didn’t find herself in ESPN’s Body Issue by accident. Another surfer broadcasting her fitness philosophies via a personal blog, the best thing about Ho’s health and fitness thread on xoCocoHo.com is that it’s not simply “do this workout, do that workout.” Coco can share the simple things, like why having fresh gym kicks adds extra motivation to actually get up and do something, as well as covering how she gets a sweat while constantly on the road. She’s even an athlete for the Six Star Pro Nutrition. This health and fitness game isn’t about quick fixes and miracle problem solvers, it’s about developing the right mindset and finding motivation that makes it less of a chore. Ho seems to have a knack for sharing that side of it, and I like that. Kudos, Coco.
The couple that workouts out together… Photo: Carissa Moore/Instagram
4. Carissa Moore
Before the 2-time world champ was an any time world champ, Carissa Moore was a strong but “raw” surfer. She entered adulthood with all the promise and talent in the world, and a solid diet of surfing, surfing and more surfing remained her sole training tool. Then, as Moore put it herself, “It wasn’t enough to just surf.” So she teamed up with a personal trainer to strengthen every part of her physical repertoire that would make her an even better surfer. Such a simple solution, right? Hand over the planning, the diet and preparation to a professional and meet them halfway by bringing full dedication? Ya, duh! Carissa goes through every type of cardio, strength training and conditioning imaginable with her own personal motivator/fitness mentor. One day it’s boxing, another it’s TRX, who knows the next? Now that she’s two deep in the world champ collection column, so can you argue with the results? The key to learn from Carissa Moore is no matter how damn good you are you can never be too good to follow someone else’s lead.
Naturally, part of her brand is fitness.
5. Alana Blanchard
Alana is one of the most famous surfers on the planet, objectively speaking. As a person, an athlete, a model and businesswoman, she has become an ambassador for the surfing community to people all over the world who have never caught a wave but still recognize that smile. Naturally, part of her brand is fitness. Magazines and websites regularly publish her workouts for a captive audience. Blanchard has said herself that being in the spotlight offered a unique perspective on body image and finding a healthy and happy balance, knowing that sharing her experiences can help younger women. Healthy body, healthy mind, healthy heart. It’s a complete package you can’t always bundle up in “5 easy steps.”
