Podcast extra: Layne Beachley talks surf therapyPodcast extra: Layne Beachley talks surf therapy
All In The Mind
Seven-time world surfing champion Layne Beachley discusses the mental health challenges she's faced in her life, how the ocean and surfing have been emotionally healing for her, and the benefits of surf therapy for mental wellbeing.
13:06•25 Nov 2018
Layne Beachley on How Surfing Helped Save Her Life
Episode Overview
- Acknowledging vulnerability and asking for help can be a crucial turning point in depression.
- Surfing and immersion in nature can offer a non-judgemental space that supports mental wellbeing.
- Having a clear, meaningful goal – such as returning to the ocean – can help sustain hope in dark times.
- Holistic attention to mindset, emotions, physical health and daily choices is important in managing chronic fatigue.
- Fears of the ocean can be addressed by identifying them clearly and taking graded, small steps into the water.
“Surfing has given me a life, but over the years, it’s at times saved my life.”
What remarkable journeys have people faced head-on against addiction and mental strain? This episode centres on seven-time world surfing champion Layne Beachley, who opens up about the harder side of a glittering career and how surf therapy has supported her mental wellbeing. You’ll hear Layne describe the ocean as her refuge from childhood onwards: “It’s a place where I feel connected. It’s a place where I feel a sense of freedom. It’s free of judgment.
It’s free of criticism.” She talks about chronic fatigue syndrome in the mid-90s, the stigma she faced, and how denial of her illness and vulnerability led her into depression and suicidal thinking. Rather than gloss over the darkness, Layne explains how recognising she needed help was the turning point. She reached out to a friend, an Olympic swimmer, who had faced similar struggles and offered practical guidance towards holistic support, including a naturopath, nutrition and sustained lifestyle changes.
It took around two years, but her commitment to mental, physical and emotional health eventually saw her return to competition and win multiple world titles. Surfing itself becomes a kind of therapy throughout the conversation.
Layne shares how, at her lowest, simply having the goal of surfing again "kept me alive in the deepest, darkest moments of my life." She breaks down what makes surf therapy powerful: the sensory hit of sand and salt water, the community of like-minded people, and the way the ocean strips away judgement and external pressure.
There’s also practical guidance for those who fear the ocean, with Layne suggesting small, incremental steps and gently questioning how rational each fear really is. Her message is clear: courage often starts with talking about your struggles and taking that first small step towards the water. If you’re curious about how nature, sport and honest conversation can support mental health, could surf therapy or another form of outdoor connection be part of your own recovery toolkit?
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