“That F**ked Me Up for Years”: Surfing Legend Kelly Slater Had to Overcome His Biggest Fear Before Facing Huge Waves, Revealed in 2016

A surfer loves oceans dearly. Right? For the legendary surfer, Kelly Slater, it was not always the case. The 50-year-old surfing champion once suffered from aquaphobia. A couple of years back, the 11X World Surf League champion talked about his fear of water and how it haunted him as an adult. 

Kelly Slater suffered from aquaphobia way before he became the demigod of waves

Back in 2016, Kelly Slater appeared in an interview with Stab magazine. Slater candidly talked about everything from his relationships to his motivation and regrets. He profoundly chatted about the in and outs of his life. At one point, Slater revealed his greatest fear while growing up. Slater disclosed his phobia by saying, “As a kid, I had a fear of drowning”.

Slater then elaborated on how he actually got his phobia. He started off by saying, “It stemmed from being in swim class when I was six: one of the instructors grabbed my head and thought it would be funny to hold me under when I didn’t have a breath.” It really was a horrifying experience for the surfer.

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As per Slater’s revelations, the surfer even suffered from nightmares as an adult. “Well, that f****d me up for years. Later, as an adult, I had a flashback. I was on a huge wave, on one of the biggest surf days in Hawaii, and I could see him dunking me,” added Slater.

Kelly Slater’s love for waves

Although Slater faced a terrifying encounter with water as a kid, he went on to fight his fears and became the demigod of waves. He first fell in love with the ocean when he was by the age of 20. Later, he went on to become the youngest surfing world champion. Ever since then, he was unstoppable. Slater still hasn’t retired from performing his beloved sport, even at the age of 50. 

Kelly Slater bravely fought his trepidations and became one of the most influential athletes. He truly is an inspiration.

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