Hi friends this week we introduce to @amy_lowry_reda. Amy is a surfer, surf instructor, yogi, environmentalist and all around amazing person and athlete. Follow along this week as we get to know her better.
How did you get into surfing?
I grew up in a beach-house and spent everyday in the water. I really wanted to surf the waves in front of my house, but no one in my family surfed. When my older sister was dating a pro-surfer, I begged him to teach me. When I was 8, he gave me an eighties shortboard and pushed me into a couple of my first waves! I was hooked. I then started going to Scott Morlan's Surf Camps (now Endless Sun Surf School)...and my life changed forever.
Is competitive surfing positive or negative?
Hmm, interesting question ... positive?! I can't really think of why it's negative. If you don't like competitive surfing, then don't do it. I don't care about it anymore because I have other priorities and values in my life now. However, from age 13 to 26, I lived for competitive surfing! I also loved being a part of surf teams, which can be like a family, only with less fighting and more surfing :). Competitive surfing allowed me to release a lot of aggression and emotions in such a healthy way. It also gave me an amazing sense of confidence, which helped in high school and college, and probably helped to keep me out of a lot of trouble. I've met some of my best friends through surf contests; and I met my husband by doing a surf contest (Log Jam, Santa Cruz). In a way, I've had "life-changing" experiences through competitive surfing, and that's why I fully support kids that want to get into it.
What would you say has been your best investment?
Rescuing a dog and marrying my husband... not sure if those are "investments" but they are the best decisions I've made.
What does success mean to you?
Having inner and outer peace.
What is your favorite place to surf in Newport?
Blackies, of course. However, when the waves are good in front of my (childhood) house, it's a rare and beautiful experience!
What was the last awesome thing that happened to you?
I successfully got a group of kids to meditate. At least, I think I did.
What are the principles and values that you believe are important to live by?
Appreciating what you have, what people do for you, and what you've been blessed with. Having compassion for every living creature, even oneself. I'm also a very determined and dedicated person.... my family and friends might even say I have an annoying amount of the former. When faced with decisions, I often ask myself 'what is loving and what is natural? What does my heart tell me to do?'
Tell me an Amy fun fact.
I'm an Irish Dancer.
What is your advice for someone who wants to surf professionally?
I would encourage someone to not look at it that way...to not look at surfing as a job...because then it might become less enjoyable. Rather, I would advise someone to let their talents and passions take them as far as they can go. And to not quit if they lose a contest or a sponsor; to keep going for as long as it makes them happy! Anything and everything is possible.
What is your advice for someone who has never surfed before?
Take a lesson from a surf school (like Endless Sun Surf School :) There's a lot to learn (safety, etiquette, ocean awareness) that you won't get from a YouTube video or from your boyfriend/friend. Also, I think everyone can surf ... it's much more mental than physical.
You recently worked with John Tracy clinic on a camp for kids with hearing loss. Could you tell me a bit about that experience?
Yea! This was me and my husband's fourth year at the camp! We teach kids with hearing loss how to play tennis, soccer, baseball, other sports, and we take them on hikes & nature walks! Despite having hearing loss and other challenges, the kids are positive, happy, strong and amazingly talented! There was a really neat professor at the camp who discussed "the advantages of hearing loss".
Is there any other organizations you like to volunteer with or support?
Yep, I support The Nature Conservancy, Friends of the Earth and Prevent Child Abuse America. A percentage of the proceeds from a children's book that I wrote go to Surfers for Cetaceans and Roots & Shoots, two smaller organizations I also believe in. We also donate surf lessons to charities every year :)
Please finish the following sentencesโฆ
I work hard to clear my mind and stay positive.
My ultimate escape is Scotland.
Above all I value peace and love.
The meaning of life is to give.