It’s a smile we don’t see often, but when we do, we know it’s for a special reason.
The Shaw and Partners Summer of Surf Series winner Ali Day was beaming with happiness and contentment, relief and victory at the summer series finale on Northcliffe beach a couple of short weeks ago.
It’s not that he doesn’t smile often, or display a love of surf sports, racing, training and lifesaving, it was simply just a different smile.
Running through the final shoot, arms raised, and few short breaths exhaled, Ali grinned with feat and pure satisfaction, a satisfaction we witness when we experience him winning the Coolangatta Gold, the Nutri Grain Ironman Series, and now, the Shaw and Partners Summer of Surf Ironman Title.
Despite executing each event with near perfection, it is the challenges faced and overcome prior to the racing that enables Ali to achieve such victories.
“My biggest challenge is self-doubt and fear,” he said.
“Throughout the summer of racing you ride the highs and the lows, but I have come to really enjoy the uncertainty of it all.”
Riding the highs and the lows with teammates, friends and extended family, it’s the team he goes home to at the conclusion of each day that enables Ali to accept the uncertainty of surf sports, recover, reset and put the self-doubt and fear at bay.
His family; Kel and Danny Day.
Watching from the water’s edge, Kel and Danny cheered alongside the crowd as Ali conquered the field once more in his most recent achievement.
Displaying a mix of joy and contentment as he crossed the finish line, Ali made a swift beeline to celebrate his success with his family.
“Obviously you’re so content because of the way you raced, and it’s a relief that it’s all over and you can now switch off, you feel so many emotions when you cross that finish line and win,” he said.
“I was so happy to see my wife and Danny, I felt as though we did that as a team.”
The team in life that we choose to ride the highs, the lows, the defeats and the victories with.
The ones who help us accept and overcome uncertainty, self-doubt and fear.
The cause of a smile that we don’t see often, but when we do, we know it’s for a special reason.
And that reason for Ali Day, is family.
