 🧡Tell us a little about yourself: I'm originally from England and have been lucky enough to live in Australia and Indonesia before arriving here in Aotearoa just over two years ago. 🧡Tell us about your boardsports journey: My first experience of surfing was age 11 when, along with my brothers, I had my very first surf lesson at Cocoa Beach, Florida. Warm waters and beginner friendly waves soon had me hooked and every holiday after that I begged my Dad to rent a surfboard. In my twenties I started to travel and found surf camps were a perfect way to experience new cultures whilst travelling alone. I'm not super confident but found it easy to make friends as everyone is there for the same reason, to score waves. Surfers love talking about surfing so a simple "how where the waves?" was an easy in. Trips to Europe and Africa followed before I ventured further to Australia where I decided to quit my job and train to become a surf instructor. After working in Australia I was given the opportunity to become a surf guide in Indonesia, 2 months turned into a year and a half and I eventually settled in Uluwatu, Bali. Just over 2 years ago I made the move to Aotearoa and now have my pick of the East and West coast waves.  🧡Reasons you love board sports: Sat in the ocean on my surfboard brings me joy. I love the ocean and the feeling of floating around on the ripples, waves and currents. I feel small in the best possible way, like whatever happens it's ok because I am just one tiny person surrounded by a vast powerful ocean. Surfing is so much fun. It's a difficult feeling to describe, it's happiness, it's a big goofy uncontrollable grin on my face. It's also a great leveller, if you ever feel like you're getting better or mastering a maneuver there is always the next wave to send you over the falls and remind you that we are all forever learning. Surfing has given me freedom and the confidence to travel and seek out adventures. It has introduced me to my best friends and given me so many incredible opportunities that I would never have experienced otherwise.  🧡Your favourite boardsports memory: Picking out my first proper surfboard. My friend took me to a surf shop in Bali and I picked out my board and my fins, my tail pad and even my board sock. He helped me set it up and I was so excited, I'd always ridden second hand boards and rentals, this was my first new board. I've had a few new boards since then, but that experience will always be special. 🧡What other ways do you cherish (manaaki) yourself? (personal well being) I try to look after myself, eating well and exercising. Sometimes being so far away from my family can be hard so I also love to spend time with my amazing friends who have become my family here. I really enjoy challenging myself and learning new things, through wellness riders I've started skateboarding and snowboarding too. 🧡What advice would you give to other wahine wanting to pursue a boardsports lifestyle? Start now. You won't regret it. Learning a new skill is challenging but also so rewarding. But also be kind to yourself, it will take time. Don't be afraid to ask for help, we are all continuously learning and improving. As an 11 year old, dragging an 8ft foam board along the beach I never imagined I would end up here, but I'm so glad I have.  Give some AROHA / LOVE to Toni if you appreciated her interview by leaving a comment below. Her insta is @toni_lloyd
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🧡Radiant skin is a reflection of inner health and balance. To glow from the inside out, focus on your gut health, efficient detox pathways, consuming optimal nutrition, adequate hydration and plenty of omega rich foods. 🧡Limit pro-inflammatory & congesting foods & beverages. Many people notice significant skin improvements with reducing or avoiding dairy and gluten (if intolerant), sugar, caffeine, artificial ingredients, processed foods, highly refined cooking oils & high sugar beverages. 🧡Consider a 4-6 week elimination & reintroduction trial to identify any suspected food sensitivities while working on improving your gut health & detoxification pathways, ideally with the guidance of a holistic health practitioner. With time you may be able to better tolerate problematic foods. 🧡Keep your skin well hydrated by sipping on pure water (2L +) throughout the day & avoid drinking 30-60 minutes around mealtime as fluid dilutes digestive enzymes which we need in high concentration to efficiently break down food. This can lead to impaired nutrient absorption & digestive complaints. 🧡Lubricate the skin from the inside out & reduce inflammation with high quality omega rich foods including chia seeds, walnuts, fish, algae/hemp/flaxseed oil (refrigerate or keep in a cool dark space for longer shelf life).  Food & Beverage Ideas for Healthy SkinUpon rising: Drink 1 glass of warm, pure water with the juice of ½ lemon or 1 Tbsp of apple cider vinegar Breakfast:
 Chia Omega BoosterNutrition properties: Omega 3, fibre, protein, healthy fat, antioxidants, calcium, iron, magnesium, zinc, vitamins A, B, E + D, plus additional nutrients. Ingredients 5 Tbsp chia seeds 1 Cup unsweetened plant milk (almond, cashew, coconut etc.) ¼ tsp pure vanilla extra Add ingredients to a small glass jar. Stir well and leave in the fridge overnight Topping options (choose a few): 1 tsp cinnamon powder (Cinnamomum zeylanicum – high quality variety) 1 tsp cacao nibs 1 tsp cacao or carob powder 1 tsp coconut flakes 1 Tbsp chopped nuts or seeds 1 Tbsp nut butter 1 Tbsp plain coconut yoghurt/kefir 2 Tbsp berries 2 Tbsp sliced banana, mango, papaya, kiwifruit Add your favourite toppings to the chia blend before or after soaking – enjoy!! Recipe & nutrition recommendations By Sarinah Hurford – Naturopath & Medical Herbalist If you enjoyed this blog leave a comment below and give some love to our girl Sarinah. Follow her @sarinah_maya  🧡Tell Us About Yourself: Hello! Elissa here, I'm 31 (you're never too old to start skating) and from Christchurch. I'm one of those people who likes to do a little bit of everything! Variety is good, but it makes it very hard when you've got too many hobbies you want to take up haha. I grew up as an arty, non-sporty kid and only later in life discovered that I just hadn't found the right kind of physical activity that I enjoyed. Aikido was what started it all for me, followed by skating, which then led to all sorts of things :) 🧡Tell Us About Your Boardsports Journey: I started skating back in late 2010 when my brother got a longboard. I jumped on it and was pleasantly surprised to learn that I did in fact have balance, and the free feeling of gliding along asphalt got me hooked. Back then, I never thought I'd get into downhill skating, but a relationship breakup led to me giving a bunch of activities a really good go in order to find myself again, and skating just kind of stuck. 🧡 Reasons You Love Boardsports: So many reasons haha. It gets me outside, it's great exercise - good combo of strength, agility, and balance, and it just feels damn good. You can do it both on your own and in a group, and it can be whatever you want it to be - therapeutic, expressive, competitive, challenging, relaxing... the list goes on! I think it is also really empowering being able to buck stereotypes and participate in what's typically considered a male-dominated field. 🧡Your Favourite Boardsports Memory: Bit of a cop-out, but I don't have a favourite memory - skating and other boardsports have been such a big part of my life, that everything is intertwined. I've been to places I never would've been, and met people I otherwise would never have met (including my partner). It's fostered a strong sense of exploration. 🧡What Other Ways Do You Cherish (Manaaki) Yourself? (Personal Well-Being) I have a lot of food allergies/intolerances, so I cook often and enjoy learning about food and keeping a healthy (but balanced ) diet. I want to keep skating and doing other activities I enjoy for as long as possible, so that means looking after my body. I do yoga and bouldering to stay flexible and strong, but knowing when to rest is important too! 🧡What advice would you give to other wāhine wanting to pursue a boardsports lifestyle? Go for it - the best time to start is now! Don't be intimidated by people who look like they know what they're doing, everyone started somewhere and people will be more than happy to help you learn :)  If you loved hearing her story give her some love on social or leave a comment below she would love to hear from you.
Follow Her @_hazecat on Instagram. Check Shining Sister! Arohanui WR Crew |
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