The week before Christmas, we were surfing my favorite point break on the Gaviota Coast in Santa Barbara. I was practicing walking the board (it’s when you move backward and forward on the board like a dance). The wave formed perfectly on the inside, and as I got to the nose, I fell off, and my board came back and hit me on the outside of my left shin, breaking my fibula. I’ve never been in so much pain. This is why I now wear a surf helmet, because I don’t want to have a traumatic brain injury.
It was the first bone I had ever broken. Somehow, I was able to escape 16 years of competitive sports without any significant injuries. That is to say, it was the first time my body was physically sidelined for nearly three months.
If you look for them, there are usually upsides to many of life’s challenges. It gave me time to appreciate the gift of my body and not take it for granted. I found myself thinking of the brave and resilient women I’ve worked with through the Beautifully Flawed Foundation, who are amputees or have limb differences.
When we see our body as a gift that allows us to experience the fullness of life, have wild adventures, and help and love people, it sets us free from body image issues and shame. And when we consider women who don’t have the blessing of a full-bodied life, it should cultivate even more gratitude. It should prompt us to stop seeing our bodies as objects, but rather as miraculous gifts.
Here are some photos of me with a few of the incredible girls I’ve had the honor of getting to know over the years through Beautifully Flawed. They are my heroes and remind me every day how precious our bodies are.
What challenge have you experienced lately, or are you walking through? Have you been able to find the good in it?
