**Owen Wright punched the air in delight after securing Olympic bronze**

Owen Wright had to learn to walk – and surf – again six years ago

‘DON’T GIVE UP’ Aussie surfer Owen Wright wins bronze

From devastating injury to Olympic medal, Australia’s Owen Wright makes surfing history.

After winning the first-ever Tokyo Olympic 2020 medal awarded in the history of surfing, Australia’s Owen Wright said he felt like he was “walking on a cloud”.

Five and a half years ago, he couldn’t even walk.

The 31-year-old’s bronze medal, secured after defeating two-time World Surf League (WSL) champion Gabriel Medina of Brazil in stormy seas at Tsurigasaki beach, is a historic triumph. But Wright’s Olympic success is all the more remarkable given what he has had to endure.

In December 2015, the Australian surfer – born and bred on the New South Wales South Coast – was free-surfing at a notorious Hawaiian break, Pipeline, ahead of the end-of-season finale. Wright flew to Hawaii in contention to win the WSL title, after claiming victory earlier in the season at the Fiji Pro.

2021 Men’s World Elite Surf Athletes

He was in good form: in Fiji, Wright had claimed two perfect 20-point heats (surfers are scored out of 10 by a judging panel, with the best two waves counting). Only a handful of surfers have ever surfed a perfect heat, let alone two.

But suddenly, in a split second, Wright’s world – and his title hopes – came crashing down. When Wright took off at Pipeline that day on a 15ft wave, it was nothing out of the ordinary – the surfer deals with waves of consequence every day. Only that day, something went wrong. Wright came crashing down suffering a traumatic brain injury – with bleeding and a concussion.

Back home in Australia, Wright had to learn to walk – and surf – all over again. He had to sit at home while his sister, fellow pro surfer Tyler Wright, won her maiden WSL crown. It took Wright four months to return to a surfboard, and over a year to get back to competitive surfing. He has described it as the worst year of his life.

‘I went through some tough times but it was the Olympics inclusion of surfing that spurred me to get back to my best,’ an ecstatic Wright told Channel Seven afterward.

‘The Olympics to me has been like that beacon of light, it really has.

‘I was going through some really tough times. I had some long-lasting symptoms. I questioned whether or not I would do the sport again.’

His gratitude at getting a second chance was there for all to see in the Olympics as he yelled in delight as he came out of the water and rushed to celebrate with his Australian teammates.

‘My heart was beating SO hard! The conditions were crazy. I just stayed focused.’

Wright had a message for others who had gone same the same trauma he had.

‘On a really personal level … all the people who have had really bad brain injuries – it’s all possible. Don’t give up. Keep striving to get back there.’

Sources: