Fuel, Flow, and Letting Go: 5 Lessons from a Surf Trip to Crescent Head

I didn’t go to Crescent Head for some big epiphany. I went to surf. To unplug. To reset between the constant toggling of parenting, performance coaching, and running a business.

But as always, nature delivered more than I asked for. The sea has a way of doing that.

The waves were wild - bigger than I’m used to for someone who surfs when life allows. And I was surrounded by ten women - some I hardly knew, some I’d never met. No bios. No business cards. Just boards, and a tonne of nerves.

And somewhere between paddling out and wiping out, I was reminded of what I teach every day - only this time, the lesson delivered a hard lesson on humility.

1. Resilience Isn’t a Trait. It’s a Decision.

The ocean doesn’t care about your résumé. It’s not impressed by how many things you can juggle. What it rewards is presence. Effort. The decision to paddle back out after you’ve been thrown.

That’s resilience - not a personality trait, but a practice. A trait my clients cultivate when their calendar implodes or the routine slips. When they choose to re-anchor - not through force, but through fuel, movement, mindset.

2. Fueling Is a Leadership Skill

Out there, I could feel the difference between eating on the run... versus being ready.

The meals that worked? Protein-forward, slow-burning, hydrating. They didn’t just fill me up - they kept me focused, steady, present. That’s what fuel does when it’s aligned.

And that’s what I teach: food isn’t vanity, or punishment, or reward. It’s a tool for outstanding leadership - it shapes your capacity to show up, to hold energy, and to lead with clarity under pressure.

3. Stillness Is Where Strategy Begins

There were no smartphones for most of the day while we were surfing. on. We didn’t talk about our jobs, our emails or deadlines. We talked about wipeouts, wave timing, and snack breaks.

Perspective doesn’t live in your inbox. It lives in the pause. And that space - especially for high achievers - isn’t laziness. It’s clarity. The kind that only arrives when you step away from your systems and have a break from your usual environment.

4. Failure Is Just Feedback

I missed waves. Hesitated when I shouldn’t have. Hopped on waves that wiped-out hard. These were learnings on what to improve next wave.

In performance and in health, we’re quick to personalise failure. But what if it’s just data? Not a defect, not an identity - just information. The quicker we release the story, the quicker we reset and move again.

5. Gratitude Is in the Body

By the end of the second day, we were belly-laughing between sets and encouraging each other like old friends.

I developed a strong sense of gratitude: for myself (in investing the time, money and energy to do this for myself), the women that joined me on the trip, and for the incredible weather and surf conditions that presented themselves.

Final Thought: Real Performance Isn’t Always About Rising

Crescent Head reminded me: not all growth comes from a concrete plan. Sometimes it's in the reframe. The tumble. The rising tide that asks you to let go first.

If you’re someone who leads, lifts, and lives with intensity - this is your invitation to pause. To get back in your body. Into nature. Into the kind of truth that doesn’t come from doing, but from being.

Ready to turn this clarity into strategy?
If this article stirred something in you - the need to reset, refuel, and rise stronger - don’t push that thought aside!

Book a free Strategy Call and let’s map out what aligned high performance looks like for you. Whether it’s IGNITE, EMPWRHER, or a personalised path forward, I’ll help you get clear on what’s next.

High performers don’t wait to hit rock bottom to make a shift. They notice the signs, then act. You’re here for a reason. This is your signal - book the call.