Overcoming a Surfing Injury: The Journey of a Pro Surfer Advocating for Head Injury Awareness

At the age of 23, Becca Speak had just started her professional surfing career and already had sponsorships from brands like Billabong. She was competing and excelling in her sport, feeling happy and optimistic about her future.

However, everything changed in a moment when she suffered a severe head injury during a competition. Becca describes how the sport that had once brought her so much joy suddenly took away her ability to speak.

When I hit my head, I suddenly couldn't move," Speak shared with CNN Sport. The accident occurred in a concrete wave pool.

"I was confused and scared. I was underwater, unable to move, and all I could do was cry out for help, hoping for the best."

Speak was pulled out of the water by her friends while she was competing. She wasn't sure if something was seriously wrong, but because of the bleeding, she decided to go to the hospital. On the way there, she began to have difficulties with her speech.

Speak now surfs with a helmet.

Speak now surfs with a helmet.

Vagrants/Made Back East

She mentions that it seemed like the link between her brain and mouth was not working properly. However, she was relieved to find out that all her scans at the hospital showed everything was fine.

As the days passed, Speak noticed that she started to feel a bit worse.

I started to feel like I was slipping into a vegetative state. It was hard for me to form complete sentences. Even the slightest things like someone talking or the light from my phone felt like too much. Everything just felt too intense.

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After a second visit to the hospital, doctors confirmed that Speak had suffered a traumatic brain injury (TBI), her sixth one after participating in sports like gymnastics, skiing, snowboarding, skateboarding, and swimming throughout her life.

The next step was a challenging recovery process lasting several months, which involved both physical and cognitive therapy. This journey is captured in the newly released film “Beyond Normal.”

It took the surfer around three months to recover her normal speech patterns and even longer to feel physically and mentally healthy again. This was possible thanks to treatments like neurological treatments, hyperbaric oxygen therapy, transcranial magnetic stimulation, and physical rehabilitation.

According to Speak, many people tend to brush off brain injuries because they are not visible like other injuries. People may say, "Oh, you're fine. Shake it off," without realizing the internal struggles someone with a brain injury may be facing.

A lifelong journey

Director and filmmaker Jordyn Romero believes that Becca's story is a comeback tale that has been shared before, but what sets it apart is her exploration of new technologies that have emerged in the last five to ten years.

Romero suffered a traumatic brain injury (TBI) while snowboarding in high school, resulting in her own personal experience with head injuries.

She shared with CNN Sport, "I don't recall an entire week of my life due to the severity of the brain injury."

However, she went back to cross-country training after just a week, believing she was fully recovered. She still experiences some effects to this day.

Romero and co-director Anna Wilder Burns aimed to shed light on the consequences of brain injuries by sharing Speak's story.

Burns, who used to be a gymnast in college before becoming a diver, shares that as an athlete, his perception of concussions was similar to many coaches. They often thought that since you can't see a concussion, it may not seem as serious as a visible injury like a broken ankle.

"I once had a teammate who took a long time to recover from a concussion. I was puzzled and wondering why it was taking so long. After all, it's just a concussion," Burns recalls.

Speak has started to surf daily once again.

Speak has started to surf daily once again.

A concussion occurs when there is a "bump, blow, or jolt to the head" or "a hit to the body that causes the head and brain to move quickly back and forth," as explained by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Sudden movements can lead to the brain bouncing around or twisting in the skull, causing chemical changes and stretching or damaging brain cells, according to the CDC.

These changes may result in symptoms like feeling disoriented or dizzy at the time, as well as long-term issues with sleep, memory, learning, and even changes in personality.

Experts caution that even subconcussive head impacts, which are repetitive hits to the head and body that do not show immediate symptoms, can lead to long-term neurological issues.

The filmmakers attribute their ability to create an "intimate and vulnerable" film about Speak's recovery to the close and trusting relationship they built with her. The filming process took over two years to complete.

During her treatment, Speak came to understand that the untreated head injuries she had suffered from had been impacting her adult life significantly.

As she tried to return to her usual routine, Speak found herself questioning what "normal" even meant for her, considering the lasting impact of her past injuries.

She explains that one day, a doctor told her, "You have to surpass what you consider normal." This advice became a guiding mantra for her during the healing process.

Speak adds, "I believe this will be a lifelong journey for me, and I have come to terms with that. I am okay with it."

Speak says she was unsure if she wanted to surf ever again at one point.

Speak says she was unsure if she wanted to surf ever again at one point.

The surfer has rediscovered her love for surfing, a sport she describes as being free and connecting with Mother Nature.

After her accident, she almost gave up on surfing, she tells CNN. For a whole year, she wasn't sure if she would ever want to surf again.

She felt a lot of anger towards surfing, believing that it had taken so much from her.

She eventually decided to give it another try, despite feeling scared. Now, Speak surfs every day with a foam helmet for safety.

"It feels like a new chapter in my life, and my goals are even more ambitious now. Some days are tough, but I'm learning to balance pushing myself with resting and recovering. This way, I can achieve all the things I want to do," she explains.

Editor's P/S:

Becca Speak's story is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit. Despite suffering a severe head injury that nearly ended her professional surfing career, she persevered through a challenging recovery process and is now back to surfing every day. Her story is an inspiration to anyone who has ever faced adversity, and it shows that anything is possible with determination and hard work.

The article also highlights the importance of raising awareness about brain injuries. Many people are not aware of the long-term effects of brain injuries, and they may not realize that they are suffering from one. It is important to educate people about the signs and symptoms of brain injuries, and to encourage them to seek medical attention if they think they have suffered one.