Layne Beachley was the first woman in history to win 7 World Surfing Championships, and the first person in surfing to win 6 in a row.
Born Tania Maris Gardener, Layne was adopted by Neil and Valerie Beachley shortly after birth. Layne grew up with Neil, Valerie and her brother Jason in the idyllic suburbs of Balgowlah Heights and learnt to surf on the ferry waves at Manly Beach.
Layne was obsessed with competitive sport of every kind, especially tennis and surfing.
At 20 years old, Layne was ranked sixth in the world on the pro-surfing tour. However, girls surfing was far from the lucrative industry that it is now (and that Layne helped to create), and Layne worked 3 jobs in between a gruelling fitness regime to pay her way on the Tour.
In 2000, Layne was awarded the Australian Sports Medal. In 2004, she won the Laureus World Alternative Sportsperson of the Year Award. In 2006, Layne was inducted in the Surfers’ Hall of Fame, and in 2011 into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame.
In 2015, Layne was awarded an Order of Australia for her support of charitable organisations and mentorship for women in sport, in addition to her status as world champion competitor.
