In 2015, Dale Webster achieved one of the most unbelievable milestones, surfing every single day for 40 years—14,641 days in total. But due to ill health, the then 66-year-old had to take a break from the water to receive minor surgery to remove a kidney stone.
Now another surfer has achieved a similar challenge. While she’s got a long way to go to beat Webster, Meg Roh, a graduate of the University of California, hasn’t missed a day of surfing since 2011. ESPN caught up with Roh to find out what inspires her.
Roh started surfing when she was just 4 years old. When she was 12, she decided to surf every day in preparation for a surf contest and by the end of that summer she had surfed 90 consecutive days. While she lost the contest, the surfing hasn’t stopped since. 90 days turned into 100. 100 into 200 and now Roh’s been surfing every day for 6 years.
That’s an incredible achievement given that Roh’s had to juggle college, university, holidays and everything else that comes with being a teen. Speaking to Huffington Post in 2015, as a high school sophomore, she said:
I always put school before surfing. I study a lot and it’s been hard to balance things. Most of the time, surfing’s a way to get a quick break and stop my thinking.
Looking back on her accomplishment and commitment, she added:
I’ve definitely learned to never give up on my dreams and keep working when things get kind of rough sometimes. And do what makes you happy every day.
Surfing is what makes Roh happy and was the driving motive behind her achievement. For her, it’s never been about setting a record, but just about doing what she enjoys every day.
At such a young age, she’s already become an inspiration to many, and she’s even got a spot on the wall at the Surfing Heritage Foundation in San Clemente, where she’s one of the “Trailblazers in Women’s Surfing.”
Here’s to doing what you love every single day!
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