Meet World Champion para surfer Zoe Smith

Zoe Smith is one of the most decorated para surfers in the world – and a leading figure in the rapid rise of adaptive surfing. A Surfing England Para Team athlete, Zoe claimed the ISA World Para Surfing Championship title in 2024, cementing her status at the very top of the sport. Most recently, she added another major international medal to her collection, winning silver in the Para Surfing Stand 2 category at the 2025 ISA World Para Surfing Championships in Oceanside, California, as part of a strong Team England showing.

Her journey into competitive surfing began relatively recently, but her impact has been immediate and powerful. Along the way, she has navigated injury, setbacks and the demands of life on tour – yet continues to push both her own limits and the boundaries of adaptive surfing worldwide.

EARLY YEARS

Tell us about your first success in your sport?
My first competition was isa 2021 in pismo beach California. I came 5th but I was extremely pleased with my performance. I was very new to surfing at the time and was just stoked to be progressing and enjoying the experience without any sense of pressure.

GRASSROOTS

What would you say to someone thinking about trying your sport?
Go for it. Surfing is fun, playful and completely addictive. If you can get to the beach and get a board, go play.

What initiatives are happening to get people into your sport?
The Para road show by Surfing England is making fantastic strides towards promoting adaptive surfing to the disabled community and there’s multiple opportunities now for disabled people to get involved in surfing. Lots of surf clubs affiliated with Surfing England are training adaptive coaches and there’s more awareness generally of the need for accessibility etc. it’s a work in progress of course but let’s celebrate the positive changes happening all around us.

HEROES

Which sportspeople do you admire now, and why?
My favourite female surfer is Gabby Bryan. She’s super powerful and has an incredible rail game. She appears to have a very humble and gentle personality too which is admirable given her success. I’ve met Carissa Moore a few times too and she’s an incredible human being and very supportive of the adaptive community.

Surfing is fun, playful and completely addictive – if you can get to the beach, go surf

TRAINING

How often do you train?
I try to be reactive to conditions and surf whenever it’s possible and at a variety of times/tides. On average I set a target of a minimum of 20 surfs a month which often means I utilise the wavepool to booster those numbers when the ocean isn’t playing ball.

Describe a typical training session
In training I will target a manoeuvre or technical training area that I want to work on. At the moment that’s sliding my back foot back and forward and working on my forehand cutback. I try not to deviate too much from those objectives and will work on that for the entire session and then do a journal of self-reflection and goal setting for the following session

What is your favourite training session/exercise/drill?
I’m not sure I have a favourite training drill, but I do have a strict yoga routine which I adhere to before and after surfing and I find that very relaxing and soothing.

Best piece of advice from your coach?
Focus, enjoy it and not to dwell on the mistakes.

Which part of your body suffers the most in your sport?
For me it’s my neck and shoulders. My neck was injured in my car accident and it suffers often from the unusual position involved in paddling. It’s a work in progress

What’s the toughest thing about being an athlete?
The expense and the time away from home and from the people you love.

What’s the hardest part/skill in your sport to master?
Not sure I can break down a particular skill that’s hard to master, surfing is an incredibly complex set of skills all linked together to hopefully make a good set of manoeuvres but at the moment I’m working very hard trying to develop my backhand flow and turns

MOTIVATION

What’s your training mantra?
Train with focus and determination. I take training very seriously because I want to make sure I feel as confident and comfortable as possible when I set out of training into competition.

How do you keep going mentally when things get tough?
Sometimes you do need a break but often it’s just a quick reset. Ultimately if you want it hard enough you can overcome those challenges and barriers to succeed. I give myself manageable goals and targets and celebrate the little successes along the way.

Do you have a mental exercise you complete or something/someone you think about?
I don’t specifically but as much as possible I set myself a skill I want to target during the session and then focus on that throughout. After I’ve finished, I journal my thoughts, feelings, enjoyment levels etc and look forward to the next session.

What’s been your greatest sporting moment so far?
Winning the ISA world para championships in 2024

How do you deal with defeats/set-backs?
There will always be defeats and setbacks. I have a little tantrum, a few tears and then move on more determined and motivated to do better. Sometimes you learn more from losing than winning.

What do you do to freshen-up your training routine?
Sometimes I swap out fins and boards to keep things from becoming too repetitive.

NUTRITION

What performance foods do you enjoy most and why?
I like fresh, healthy food. I am predominantly a vegetarian so eat a lot of lentils and beans to ensure I get a good protein intake. It’s hard to eat well when you’re away training and I’m juggling how to do that well now. I always like to have a coffee and a banana before a surf!

What are you go-to feel-good treats?
I definitely enjoy chocolate and have a weakness for chocolate milk. I convince myself it’s highly nutritional

How does nutrition improve your performance?
Surfing is a high intensity, intermittent sport and needs power, speed and strength as well as the key components of endurance etc. nutrition is not only essential to prepare you for a surf but also following. I try to eat an anti-inflammatory diet a mix of protein and carbs and I also take supplements to compliment my recovery such as CBD, glucosamine and magnesium. Nutrition is super important

Have you got a favourite recipe you can share?
I eat a lot of rice, sweet potato, lentils, tenderstem broccoli and spices. I love a curry. Spicier the better for me. I hard boil an egg and have that on top. I pickle my onions too with red wine vinegar and I’m a fan of those as garnish.

TOP TIPS

Any go-to fitness tips you can recommend?
Stretching, yoga and Pilates. Understand how your body moves for optimum performance

Advice on preparing mentally to get involved
I’m in the process of learning more about sports psychology and trying to read some self-development books to help teach myself coping mechanisms during competitions

FUN STUFF

Can you share three quirky facts not many people know about you

Are there any sports you aren’t good at?
Plenty, I’m sure. I haven’t tried them all and what I used to be good at is different now post injury. I was very fast on my feet and agile, those are no longer my strong suits.

How do you unwind away from sport?
I love spending time with my dogs, walks in the forest and hanging out at home. I’m obsessed with birds and have created a bird Mecca in my garden with multiple feeding stations and baths and love watching them. Super relaxing. I’m a huge lover of animals and nature.

What’s the strangest thing that’s happened during competition?
It’s not particularly strange but I did get an interference in the final of the 2022 ISA worlds and went from 2nd to 4th place. It took me some time to realise you have to surf sensibly in competitions. It’s still something I’m learning on how to transition between free surfer and comp surfer.