Q: What attracted you to GB Surfing’s Female Coach Initiative?

EC: I was super stoked to be invited out to the first Progression Squad camp in Viana last week and start off the Female Coach Development Initiative.  There has been a gap in female coaching at an elite level for a while now, so it is great that GB Surfing looking to fill this gap and support the next generation of female coaches.

The week gave me the opportunity to develop my own coaching abilities and at the same time be with the competitive squad. I’ve been a competitive athlete myself for 12 years, competing in both shortboard and longboard, so it’s really exciting to be here to begin this career transition. That being said, my priority is still to focus on my own competing for the time being, especially with longboarding now having a chance to be in the Olympics.

Q: Why is the Female Coaching Initiative an important part in developing elite surfing in the UK?

EC: Having a female coach can have a massive impact on performance at an elite level. It is important that girls and women have someone who understands what it’s like to be female. There’s a lot of things that male coaches don’t understand, and therefore female athletes are able to be more open with female coaches, due to being more relatable and therefore understanding. We all face similar problems, male or female, and its now finding a collective way to overcome these and create environments that provide a safe space for people to develop.

I’m passionate about this and I can’t wait to see what comes of it. Surfing is a male dominated sport and it’s good to see a space for empowerment and equality. The Initiative gives women a platform to improve their own abilities, bringing this to young girls, allowing them to have role models which can make a really big difference to someone’s future. It is about building strong, diverse and quality coaches to come together to make a space that can create amazing athletes, and it’s really exciting to see how far we’ve in such a short time already.

Q: What is one piece of advice you would give to younger surfers?

EC: To take all opportunities that come your way, strive for what you believe in and enjoy the journey – it’s a hell of a journey so make sure you’re enjoying it!