Episode #387: Fighting Fear with Big Wave Surfer, Mark Mathews

Mark Mathews is a professional big wave surfer who has made a living surfing waves up to 50 feet big. He is a Red Bull athlete, has won three Oakley Big Wave Awards, and has featured in several documentaries, including Fighting Fear, alongside UFC fighter Richie Vaculik, and the forthcoming On The Other Side of Fear. While surfing in Tasmania, fifteen feet in front of a cliff in cold, shark infested waters, Mark hit a reef and instantly blacked out. Neck braced and hospital-ridden, he didn’t know if he could ever surf again. We unpacked a whole lot in this 80 minute conversation, including: Mark’s childhood in the Sydney beachside suburb of Maroubra What makes a big wave surfer Near death experiences Recovering from a life and career-threatening injury Cultivating discipline and resilience in the surf and in life You can also check out the video version of this podcast, complete with surf footage Mark and I refer to, at the new Future Squared YouTube channel. With that, I bring you the one and only, Mark Mathews. Topics Discussed: Childhood Where the motivation to surf big waves came from Affiliation with the Bra Boys What it’s like to ride and wipe out on a big wave Becoming a professional surfer Near death experiences The psychology of flow Goal-setting and feedback loops Getting back on the board after a near death experience Cultivating mental resilience Suffering a life and career threatening injury Mental and physical rehabilitation, and what Mark learned during this time An attitude of gratitude The Other Side Of Fear documentary  Surfing at Jaws, Cyclops, and Shipstern’s Bluff Show Notes: IG: @markmathewssurf W: www.markmathews.com LI: www.linkedin.com/in/mathewsmark --- Listen to Future Squared on Apple Podcasts  goo.gl/sMnEa0 Also available on: Spotify, Google Podcasts, TuneIn, Stitcher and Soundcloud Twitter: www.twitter.com/steveglaveski Instagram: www.instagram.com/@thesteveglaveski Future Squared: www.futuresquared.xyz Steve Glaveski: www.steveglaveski.com Medium: www.medium.com/@steveglaveski Steve's book: www.employeetoentrepreneur.io NEW Facebook group: www.facebook.com/groups/futuresquared/ Watch on YouTube: https://bit.ly/2N77FLx <img src= "https://static.xx.fbcdn.net/images/emoji.php/v9/t7c/1/16/1f9e0.png" alt="