Maya Gabeira
Maya Gabeira | |
---|---|
Gabeira (center) in Washington D.C in 2014 | |
Personal information | |
Born |
Maya Reis Gabeira April 10, 1987 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil |
Residence | North Shore, Oahu, U.S. |
Height | 5 ft 6 in (1.68 m) |
Weight | 124 lb (56 kg) |
Surfing career | |
Sponsors | Red Bull, Billabong |
Major achievements | Billabong XXL Global Big Wave Award (2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2012), ESPY Award (Best Female Action Sports Athlete, 2009) |
Maya Reis Gabeira (born April 10, 1987) is a Brazilian big wave surfer.
Career highlights
In 2009, Gabeira won the ESPY award for Best Female Action Sports Athlete.[1] Later that year, Gabeira surfed the biggest wave ever by a female when she successfully rode a 14 metres (46 ft) wave at Dungeons, a big-wave surf spot in South Africa.[2]
In 2010, she was awarded with the Billabong Girls Best Overall Performance Award for a record four years in a row.[3]
On October 28, 2013, Gabeira lost consciousness and nearly drowned while surfing a massive wave near Nazaré, Portugal, caused by the St Jude storm; she was saved by her fellow Brazilian big-wave surfer Carlos Burle, ending up in the hospital[4][5]
Gabeira's current sponsors include Billabong and Red Bull.
Personal life
Gabeira's father is Fernando Gabeira, one of the founding members of the Green Party of Brazil. Her father is also a former member of a guerilla group responsible for the kidnapping of the US Ambassador in Brazil, Charles Elbrick, in 1969.[6]
References
- ↑ The Extreme Scene The Extreme Scene: Congrats to Maya Gabeira for Winning Best Female Action Sport Athlete ESPY
- ↑ Transworld Surf Maya Gabeira Rides The Biggest Wave Ever By A Woman
- ↑ Explorer Girls Maya Gabeira Wins Billabong XXL Global Big Wave Award Fourth Year in a Row
- ↑ Paul Hamilos, "Surfers in Portugal ride towering waves whipped up by storm", The Guardian, October 29, 2013.
- ↑ "Maya Gabeira gives thumbs up after near-drowning experience", Surfer Today, October 28, 2013.
- ↑ Maya Gabeira - Professional X Games Athlete Profile Maya Gabeira
External links
- Maya Gabeira - Official Home Page (Portuguese)