“You’re Ultimately Going to Die”: 51-Year-Old Surfing Champ Drills Down Health Conscience in Ignorant Followers

Surfing is a sport that can be taxing on the body. And to stay at the top of the game, one needs to be healthy and hearty. “My body is my temple” is an adage that would probably do well if one is a surfer. At least, it is a notion that the legendary surfer, Kelly Slater, has adopted in his life. It is also a practice that he urges others to adopt as well.

Slater, after winning 11 world titles, 56 event wins, and more than 30 years of professional skating, would definitely know the meaning of physical and mental burnout. Kelly Slater has always been an advocate of physical and mental health and he has learned some best practices along the way to manage both.

Kelly Slater stresses the importance of being health conscious

During an interview with Jason Gilbert, Slater talked about mental and physical health, and how necessary it was to ensure the upkeep of one’s health in order to live life to the fullest. Kelly Slater’s childhood was confusing, to say the least. His relationship with his parents, especially his father, was not a traditional one. However, as a child, Slater was still heartbroken about seeing his father suffer from a deadly disease.

Slater recalled in the interview, “I watched my dad die from cancer. Um, it was really hard to, uh, see…” However, being terminally ill changed his father’s viewpoint on life, and Slater’s father had some new philosophies to share with Slater. He recalls, “…but at the same time, he talked a lot about the quality of life and the protocols he was doing, and how he didn’t want to do certain things that were gonna… that’s gonna change the quality of life that you have left.” This is when kelly Slater learned that taking care of one’s health is not a choice, but an imperative. According to Slater, “So at some point, we all get to this point where, I mean, suddenly you can die of something. Get a car accident or whatever.”

Read more: “Has Been My Hero”: Kelly Slater Pays a Heartfelt Tribute to 58-Year-Old Compatriot for Influencing His Surfing Career

He then went on to add, “But if you realize your health is diminishing, you have to make choices in order to figure out how you can enjoy the most out of life when you have the thing, and you’re ultimately going to die. Then the path, I’m not saying it’s clear, but you definitely take decisive actions.” This ideology is what turned Kelly Slater into an individual who is extremely mindful of their health, and he urges others to follow in the same pursuit.

Slater as an advocate for healthy and mindful eating

When Slater was about 20 years old, he became obsessed with different philosophies surrounding diet. He read books, tried his hands at different dietary habits, and embarked on a journey to take full control of all aspects of his body. This obsession turned him into someone who is renowned to be a knowledgeable nutritionist. Kelly Slater is now a household name while talking about healthy eating, clean living, and sustainable development.

A book by the name of The Tao of Health, Sex, and Longevity became a bible for the 20-year-old Kelly Slater. He became consumed with researching what kind of foods to eat and not to eat together. Slater found out that the way one ate, in addition to what one ate, helped the body create fuel for itself more efficiently. In addition to eating habits, the book generally talked about the best practices to adopt to ensure the well-being of one’s body, which Slater followed religiously. 

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The ideologies that Slater adopted when he was in his 20s clearly seem to be working out for him even now, when he is 51. So clearly, he knows a thing or two about managing one’s health. Are you planning to incorporate these amazing ideas by Kelly Slater in your day-to-day life?