Since she was four years of age, all April Davey wanted to do was surf. Taught by her father, she picked up the skill quickly, and was soon spending her teenage years competing.
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It's been a watery roller coaster for the rising star of surfing from Kirrawee, but it didn't come without feelings of not being good enough. Plagued by the typical adolescent emotions spurred by social interactions, the experiences of dealing with regular teen life was mirrored against the pressure of winning - out on the ocean.
What helped April navigate challenges, was deciding to study an online mental health course. On the sidelines, her mother Danielle, has boosted her daughter's resilience through her digital project. Danielle is the co-founder of Shire Kids, which aims to help Sutherland Shire parents to feel connected, supported, and stay in touch with what's going on in their community.
A constant sideline supporter, mother-of-five Danielle says her hearing about real stories of struggles and overcoming resilience, helps April understand the power of a united community.
"The level of surfing that April has been doing in the past few years does put pressure on, and at times she's struggled, maybe thinking she's not good enough or that she can't make it," Danielle said. "April's my oldest, and being a parent of a then-high school student a couple of years ago, I saw that she had lots of issues with friendship groups and social media. The worst thing was not being able to dive in and fix it."
But April, who made her competitive debut at age 11, used her passion for surfing to rise above any negativity. She has represented surf wear and lifestyle brand Mambo since she became a member of its Junior Pro Surf Team.
She was the 2018 Cronulla Girls Boardiders Open Champion at 15, Surf Sutherland Shire Club Champion in 2021 and won the 2023 SurfAid Cup Surfing Champion (Team) award.
"Being so young and in competitions, you want to be the best in what you do, and it's hard to comprehend a loss," April said. "But now being older and having studied mental health, it's easier, and it helps me improve."
April recently competed in the Burleigh Heads Australian Boardriders Battle grand final in the Open Wome's Draw. Based on her performance, she's set to qualify for the national titles again at the 2024 Australian Boardriders Battle in November.
