After Watching His Idols Drinking Heavily Before Competition, US Surfing Legend Learnt an Important Life Lesson

At an age when most athletes retire from their sports, surfer Kelly Slater is continuing his 2024 Olympic dream. The 51-year-old’s resilience and dedication to surfing made him an 11-time surfing world champion since the mid-90s. He initially began his career at 5 and by 18, he became a pro surfer. Slater’s long career journey did not just make him an 11-time WSL champion but also gave him a fitness lesson for life. 

On June 6, Kelly Slater appeared in an interview with Men’s Journal sharing life lessons on passion and purpose. Besides talking about various aspects of his life learnings, the 51-year-old explained how he perceived fitness. 

How fitness became Kelly Slater’s important goal?

During the interview, Slater stressed the concept of prioritizing one’s health and well-being. He recalled how he learned the lesson while going on tours as a new surfer with his idols. Slater revealed that he would observe his seniors drinking and partying before their championship day. 

Besides their fun and frolic, he noticed how his idols would later have to pay the price of self-indulgence. Seeing them suffer from neglecting their health, Slater learned an important lesson. It made him reassess his own well-being and also analyze his priorities. 

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Slater expressed that the reassessment helped him align his health as a priority which eventually gave him an upper hand in his championships. In fact, he still reaps the benefits of maintaining his well-being for years. Sharing this life lesson, he summarized his belief as “Take care of your body and it’ll take care of you.” Indeed, his dominance in the sport is not just a result of his talent but his impeccable health.  Moreover, in a recent interview, he also talked about how investing in health will be a long-term benefit. 

Kelly Slater stresses how we can make the best use of money

During a YouTube interview with Jason Gilber, Kelly Slater shared about a study performed by Harvard University. He explained that according to the results, investing in health can provide one with 2000% returns. He suggested that by using their wealth on their health, people can identify what’s going on in their bodies, which is a great thing to do. It can help them take necessary precautions on time and save themselves from potential health risks. 

He emphasized,  “Food allergy tests, different blood tests, inflammation. I mean, why else you have money? You know, you should spend money on yourself for your health.”  Slater explained that when people have the power to invest in themselves, why not do it? Investing in health would ultimately benefit them. 

Slater’s fitness as a surfer perfectly indicates his passion for his well being. His health is the main reason that keeps him going. 

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