Layne Beachley

World Champion Surfer

Layne Beachley is regarded as the best female professional surfer in the sport's history, having won the World Championship seven consecutive times. She turned professional at the age of 16 and made a remarkable rise through the ranks in a very male-dominated sport. 

By the age of 20 she was already ranked sixth in the world. But in 1993 and 1996 she suffered two episodes of chronic fatigue that threatened to end her career. A mental, physical and emotinal challenge, she overcame the illness to become the women's ASP World Champion in 1988. She now dominates the sport, holding the record for the greatest winning margin in the world title race and for the greatest number of consecutive World Championship victories by any competitor. 

Having experienced the financial pressures of supporting her career for the first eight years, Layne established the Aim for the Stars Foundation to inspire girls and women to achieve their academic, sporting, community and cultural dreams. 

Layne is a phenominal competitor and an outstanding role model for women around the world.