Sometimes, the things you do for work can spill over into other facets of your life. So much so that the skills you hone in your everyday work can help you pursue your passions in better ways. That’s exactly how it seems for Brody Malone. The 2024 Paris Olympics didn’t turn out to be as bountiful as expected for the Stanford Cardinal student-athlete. Now, it looks like Malone is turning to his love for surfing to clear his head before embarking on the next phase of his illustrious gymnastics career.

Just a couple of weeks ago, fans around the US were horrified to learn that Malone had encountered a head injury while riding the waves at Lake Allatoona. In a social media post by Malone’s fiancee Serena Ortiz, the gymnast was seen doused in blood while the couple was enjoying vacation time after the Paris Games. But one little knock on the head can’t keep him down!

Brody Malone loves to conquer things that offer him a challenge

Apparently, the Georgia native is back at the same spot and perfecting his skills on a surfboard. In his Instagram story, the 2024 Olympic bronze medalist shared the original post of Ortiz where he can be seen blowing a kiss in her direction before showing off his skills on a wetter surface than he is used to. Malone performed a signature gymnastics move to jump off the surfboard and land in the water. He re-shared the moment once again via another IG story with the caption, “What can I say? I love to flip.”

The ten-time NCAA champ loves being outdoors and has a long association with water. The artistic gymnastics star enjoys fishing and hunting for frogs in the marshes of Georgia and now has established himself as a commendable surfer as well. Maybe that’s just his way of coping with the extreme demands of the sport that has made him popular beyond the national borders, and he’s had a lot to cope if we’re being honest.

The gymnast realized his love for Ortiz while recovering from injury

While performing at the DTB Pokal Team Challenge in Germany last year, Malone suffered a freak injury on the bars. “My hand just kind of slips off the bar. It’s a fluke accident. That was the first thing that went through my head,” Brody later said, even though he was taken by surprise by the unprecedented nature of the accident. But it also brought a smile to Malone’s face as Ortiz rushed to take care of her beau along with his father. “By having her there, literally waiting on me hand and foot, I could see the love in her heart, and it just made me realize how special of a person she was. We grew so close and had some amazing conversations,” Malone told The Knot in July this year.

However, Malone’s journey to recovery isn’t over. He has a long road ahead and isn’t ruling out competing at the 2028 LA Olympics either. Though he would be close to 30 years of age by then, the EVO Gymnastics star believes he can still keep up with the sport’s dynamic demands. The Paris Olympics didn’t become the stage where Malone reached the highest pantheon of elite gymnasts, but could performing on home soil finally change that? Share your thoughts in the comments below!