"Imagine trying to outrun a 10-story building that is crumbling right behind you— that's big wave surfing." The hundred-foot waves in Nazare, Portugal are the most dangerous in the world, but Maya Gabeira didn’t fear them. In fact, she felt alive riding these monsters, addicted to the death-defying dance of Big Wave Surfing. But the conditions in Nazare can change in an instant, and when multiple waves pummeled her to the bottom of the ocean she was lucky to escape with career-ending injuries. Ridiculed by her peers and left without sponsorship, it seemed like an impossible dream to surf again, let alone break world records.

Photo Credit: Pablo Garcia

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