Australian surfer Tyler Wright opens up on ‘life-changing’ skull surgery
The two-time World Champion is sleeping 'for the first time in 15 years' after a surgery to improve her breathing
Australian surfer Tyler Wright underwent ‘life-changing’ surgery during the offseason, as she continues to compete at the highest level.
The two-time World Champion shared that medical experts, who had scanned her brain and tested her airways, believe it's a "miracle" that she can do what she does on a surf board, let alone be one of the best in the world.
“Through one of the specialists we ended up finding that most of the time I’m under-oxygenated and I’m semi-suffocating all the time through my nose, and my airways are really small” the 29-year-old explained in an interview.
Currently aiming for success in the Rip Curl Pro, taking place in Portugal, Wright says she is "sleeping for the first time in 15 years," following the surgery to the bone in the roof of her mouth.
“It’s been really successful and it’s changing my life,” she said. “But it’s also a process and I’m only [on] step one and a half of a multi-step process.
“I’m healing my nervous system through getting better recovery and better sleep. I’m sleeping for the first time in 15 years, I feel different going out and competing this season.”
Wright, who is set to compete at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games this summer, adds: “Through the offseason, I got a maxillary palatal expander. Essentially, I’ve got seven screws in my head, between 9mm and 17mm and in the off-season I expanded it. Essentially it popped the bone and I got 7mm [more space] through that."
“Now I’ve got an efficient system I am waking up every day and I feel great - but I’ve got to train a new system. It’s perplexing and does my head in a little bit, but I’m working it through and I’ve got great support and great doctors to explain everything.”
The Australian is no stranger when it comes to requiring a bit of patience to get back to her best, having been sidelined for several years after contracting a virus when competing in South Africa. It kept her out of the 2019 season, returning to full-time competition in 2021.