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“A lot of my health issues were stemming from stress and the pressure I was putting on myself mentally and physically, and so far, so good with it.
“A lot of my symptoms from the tumour have gone away. We looked at surgery for a long time, but it was pretty invasive and could have done more harm than good.
Costa Rica’s Brisa Hennessy has battled serious health issues to become one of the world’s best surfers.Credit: Athelo Group
“So, it ended up being months of trying to shrink it or treat it by looking after myself and managing my stress, my mentality and my body. I had to step off tour and face the reality of where my career and my health was at.
“It wasn’t an easy time away from competing, figuring out what my next step was with the doctors. Emotionally it was a lot. I haven’t figured everything out yet, but mentally, I’m in the best space I’ve ever been.
“I learnt to look after myself and take care of my body. Working on my mental health is something I’ll have to keep doing to handle that, but it’s positive so far.”
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Hennessy’s surfing agrees with all of the above. Sunday’s quarter-final win over American Sawyer Lindblad saw Hennessy deliver the highest-scoring women’s heat total at Bells this event. In between admiring her surroundings.
Which on another day of upsets, included defending men’s champion Ethan Ewing bowing out as the last Australian in the competition, while the likes of Matthew McGillivray (South Africa), Cole Houshmand (US) and Rio Waida (Indonesia) punched well above their rankings to make up a semi-finals line-up alongside world No.1 Griffin Colapinto (US).
An all-American women’s semi featuring Caroline Marks and Caity Simmers makes for an especially stars-and-stripes themed Bells this year.
For Hennessy, months spent out of the water last year after her diagnosis asked the obvious question.
Why? Why, if the pressure and stress of being a professional surfer is threatening her health, should she keep pursuing it?
Brisa Hennessy’s latest health issue was a burst eardrum in Portugal at the start of March.Credit: Thiago Diz/World Surf League
“It took time for sure,” Hennessy says, “But I’m proud of the way I worked that out and made sure this is still my passion and what I want to do”.
When Hennessy was able to return to the waves late last year, a trip to Fiji with Mick Fanning and double-overhead Cloudbreak peaks “lit the fire again”.
Semi-final showings at Pipeline and Sunset Beach told the rest of the surfing world in no uncertain terms. Hennessy is Olympics-bound to represent Costa Rica in July and was ranked No.5 in the world as recently as 2022.
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If not for her latest injury – a drop in the proverbial ocean compared to the past few years – Hennessy’s third semi-final from four events this year would have her back inside the top five already.
“But I went from heavy waves at Pipeline and Sunset in Hawaii to rupture my eardrum in one-foot Portugal waves,” she laughs incredulously of her injury withdrawal in Peniche a few weeks ago.
“The board hit my ear and it was cut. It was so painful, all I could hear was thunder, it was this really weird sensation and I came up from the wave incredibly dizzy.
“I dived into the sand because down was up for me, I thought I was standing up but I was face planting into the sand I was so disorientated … It healed surprisingly quickly and as soon as I was cleared to surf with ear plugs here I was really happy and in a good place.
“Like we’ve been saying, you’ve just got to appreciate the good moments when they come to you.”
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