Silvana LIMA

There is a word to describe Brazillian surfer Silvana Lima: resilient.

Born in 1984 and growing up in a snack-shack on the ocean’s edge in Paracuru, Brazil, Lima’s very first surfboard was a plank of wood. Before taking her makeshift board out on the waves she fashioned a fin for it by making a hole inside. Lima wouldn’t get her first proper surfboard until she was 14 and even then, it was second-hand.

Fighting through surfing’s ranks accumulating national championships in her stride, Lima’s on-and-off career on the World Surf League (WSL) Championship Tour (CT) began in 2006. For the next five years, the Brazilian seriously impressed, finishing third in 2007 before being twice a runner-up in 2008 and 2009.

Injuries to her knee ligaments forced Lima out of the competition in 2012. In 2013, she received an injury wildcard, but the pain persisted ultimately forcing her off Tour entirely. Where many would have called time, the Brazilian kept going. She won the 2014 Qualifying Series (QS), returning her back to surfing's elite level. But by the end of the year, she failed to gain any traction in the points forcing her off the CT again.