To be awarded my National Colours after 17 years of training, hassling, struggling, self-doubt, giving up, getting back up, and now truly believing in myself is an absolute dream come true! I started surfing because my father was a passionate surfer who passed away when I was 4-years-old. Surfing was my way of holding him close to my heart. Before I knew it, I fell in love with surfing and started competing. I decided that this was what I wanted to do for the rest of my life! I grew up in Delft on South Africa’s Cape Flats, and my mother, Barbara Johnson, made sure I got to Muizenberg Beach (three taxis and a train, or a busted Ford Sapphire that we pushed most of the way) to pursue my passion, no matter the cost or sacrifice. Being awarded Western Province Colours when I was 15 was a highlight. I was number one in the National Rankings. My dream has always been to represent South Africa, but financial and other challenges got in the way, and at that point, I gave up on surfing. After three years of no surfing, I finally got back into the water for fun and to regain my spirits. Soon after, I met my husband, Mark Powis. From the outset, he believed in me and pushed me to get back into competing and taught me to believe in myself regardless of life’s circumstances. This is my debut and, finally, my chance to showcase what a ‘transformation kid’ who grew up with limited funding in an expensive sport can do once we start truly believing in ourselves!

Joshe Faulkner from Pellsrus, Jeffreys Bay, currently competing on the Challenger Series