A professional surfer, a three-time world title holder, a women who dominates in her sport – Carissa Moore shows no sign of slowing down. The 24-year-old is traveling the world for surf competitions in world-class destinations like Fiji, South Africa, Tahiti and France.
“There has been hard work, there has been sacrifice there has been some tears, and you know it hasn’t been an easy journey,” she tells Her Magazine.
From riding big waves to winning world titles, the Oahu born athlete says she fails more than she wins.
“I deal with self-doubt, negative self-talk,” says Moore. “I have to consciously be self-aware, and be like okay wait is this going to be productive if it’s not let it go and move forward. I have really come to love and embrace, those moments where things get hard, because I think that’s when your best comes forward, that’s when the true potential really shines.”
She stays present in the moment by focusing on “one heat, one wave, one turn at a time.” Crediting her “support crew” – family, friends, as well as her fiancé Luke Untermann, and her sponsors for getting her through life’s ups and downs.
“I’ve come to realize success isn’t defined by the world titles, or the trophies or the winnings” Moore says, “It’s the moments that you share with people who you love and interactions that you have. The smiles and the laughs, those are the things that are going to last, and ultimately make the journey worthwhile.”
Besides doing what she loves most- surfing, Moore is also getting ready to tie the knot in December with Untermann, her high school sweetheart. She’s enjoying the wedding planning process and says, “If things don’t go exactly as planned it’s okay. For us, no matter what happens, the day is going to be amazing.”
She’s also gearing up for a spot in the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo, where surfing will make its debut in the summer games.
“It’s such an exciting time for surfing, to be recognized at such an elite level. That’s definitely something that I would love to be a part of and after that hopefully just leaving a good legacy, before moving on to become a mom and starting a family in a few years.”
For now she wants to keep surfing and progressing. Moore says “it can be challenging working with Mother Nature,” because in surfing “you never have the same canvas, and that keeps me motivated.”
She’s inspired by people who are authentic and are not afraid to do things their own way. She looks up to the women she competes with who push her every day, as well as Serena Williams, who she says “has totally embraced her body, I think that’s great to see there are no boundaries, there isn’t a specific mold to be successful or beautiful.”
She was also inspired by quadriplegic makeup artist, and Wings for Life Ambassador Steph Aiello, who did a wedding makeup look for her. Moore was brought to tears when she heard the obstacles Aiello has faced after two car accidents and overcoming cancer.
“She is so extraordinary, she exuded beauty from the inside out” says Moore, “I thought it was so inspiring to see her embracing herself fully and completely and using a situation that many people could get possibly very depressed and very negative about, she turned it into something really positive.”
In life, anything is possible and Moore says if you put in the hard work, and you are passionate about your goals, you can do anything that your heart and mind desires.
“I always tell myself if I just push past the point when I really want to give up that’s usually, when the most beautiful magical stuff happens,” she says.
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