Flick Palmateer may have caught the biggest wave ever ridden by a female Australian surfer but she’s facing another challenge on reality TV.
What’s the bravest thing you can remember doing? Take a second to think about it. Okay, got it?
Right, I can almost guarantee that Flick Palmateer has got you beat.
Back in 2015, the Aussie big-wave surfer paddled out at Western Australia’s Cowaramup Bombora break, despite the ocean serving up 30-foot waves that looked more like grey-blue apartment buildings crashing down.
And just like that, history was made, with Palmateer catching the biggest wave ever ridden by a female Australian surfer.
Palmateer also stars in Australian Survivor: Brains v Brawn, which is pretty fitting because tackling those giant waves for a living takes plenty of both.
“As a professional big-wave surfer, being physically strong is important but when it comes to throwing yourself down a 30-foot wall of water, being mentally strong is even more essential,” she says.
“When you’re facing those life-threatening moments, it’s crucial to make the right decision under pressure, so I place a lot of importance on training my mind just as much as my body.
“That involves visualisation and meditation most days, especially on the days that I’m competing. These techniques help not only in my career but also in real-life situations that have been hard to deal with.”
The link between mental and physical health is important to Palmateer and both will no doubt be tested on Survivor.
But the perhaps the hardest thing for someone who lives in the surf to deal with will be the change to her morning routing — which, unsurprisingly, involves the beach.
“I always wake up at 5.30am, do a couple minutes of breathing exercises and a gratitude meditation, then it’s lemon water and straight to the coffee machine,” she says.
“My life revolves around the weather and what the surf is doing, so I will then jump in the car and roll down the hill to check the waves. If they’re good, I’m surfing.”
Flick Palmateer on…
Best advice I’ve ever received
“It’s from my dad, who told me to ‘make every day a good day, because nothing is guaranteed’. Another couple of mottos that I live by which are inspired by my parents are ‘don’t trade your authenticity for approval’ and ‘your vulnerability is not a weakness but a gift’.”
Why I embrace healthy eating
“I genuinely really like eating healthy most of the time because I love how my body responds and performs when I do. I think my diet is probably 80-20. It’s 80 per cent healthy foods and 20 per cent naughty foods — life’s about balance and food is one of my greatest joys, so I never want to limit myself in any way.”
Why I train to feel good, not look good
When I was younger I use to work out to look a certain way, but now I work out to feel a certain way. Working out leaves me feeling strong and empowered, and that’s a feeling I love to chase now.”
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Originally published as Surfer Flick Palmateer competes in Australian Survivor: Brains v Brawn
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