Sally Fitzgibbons was born on December 19, 1990 in Gerroa, New South Wales, Australia. Like most professional surfer girls, Sally is a natural-born athlete as you’ll see in her accomplishments. Before her professional surfing career, she was a national champion in middle distance running by winning gold at the 2007 Australian Youth Olympic Festival in the 800m and 1500m. At one point Sally had to decide to pursue either surfing or track. Because the ocean provided her with the competitive environment she loved, but also the space to remain mindful and in touch with the natural world, surfing was the obvious choice.
When Sally was 14 years old she won the ASP Pro Junior Open and became the youngest surfer to win an Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) Pro Junior (Under 21’s) event. She continued to set records in her junior years winning a number of surf titles.
In her first attempt to reach the women’s elite World Surfing Tour via the World Qualifying Series, Australian surfer girl, Fitzgibbons, set a record by wrapping up the 2008 WQS series in the first 5 events to become the youngest World Surfing Tour qualifier in ASP history. In 2010 she was runner up in 3 ASP Women’s World Tour events and finished as runner up to another Australian surfer Stephanie Gilmore in the ASP Women’s World Title.
In April 2011, Sally beat Carissa Moore in the final Rip Curl Women’s Pro at Bells Beach, Australia which won her first in an ASP World Tour event. Sally won her second ASP World Tour event, once again beating Carissa Moore in the Subaru Pro in New Zealand. With this win she became the world’s top-ranked female surfer and took the lead in the 2011 ASP World Tour.
Later that same year, Sally won her third ASP World Tour event by defeating Lakey Peterson in the final of the US Open of Surf in Huntington Beach, California. Sally became runner up to Carissa Moore in the 2011 ASP Women’s World Title for 2011. Sally was honored with 5th place in the 2011 Surfer Poll Awards held by Surfer Magazine.
The following year in 2012, Sally won the first ever Australian Open after defeating 2004 World Champion Sofia Mulanovich, this meant Fitzgibbons would be the first person to ever hold the US and Australian Opens of Surf titles at the one time. Later that year she beat the unstoppable Malia Manuel in the finals at the Hunter Ports Women’s Classic in Australia and she won the Rip Curl Pro in Australia, beating 4 times world champion Stephanie Gilmore.
Sally’s commitment and determination in her training and surfing had made her a figurehead in the evolution of women’s surfing, in an era that’s bridged the gap in performance and recognition with the men. In 2015 she won the Fiji Pro while suffering a painful and balance-impaired perforated eardrum.
Sally has taken her drive and talents to start the Sally Fitzgibbons Foundation. The foundation was established to inspire the next generation of Aussie kids to live active and healthy lives by providing education material, plus fun and inclusive exercise programs for 5 to 12 year old children. “As an athlete you have to show determination and diligence, no one else is going to get you up at 4:30am to train by yourself,” she says. “I have that work ethic engrained in me and I think it’s put me in a great position to launch a business career.”
In 2015, Sally launched her book Live Like Sally, which shares her knowledge and lessons she’s learned about fitness, nutrition, body image, victory, defeat and adventure. Along with her book, she has created fitness program in apps for Android and iOS. “Train like Sally is my initial download of the fitness knowledge I’ve learned over years of being an athlete,” she says. “I’ve learned so much about building a holistically strong body with a huge variety of fitness forms; whether it’s boxing, HIIT, swimming, gym sessions or body weight exercises. Training should be fun, it shouldn’t be a chore, and the secret to sticking to your programs is variety. TLS can be for an exercise first-timer, all the way through to those wanting to push the limits and be their very best athlete.”
Sally’s yet infectious vision: “I want to help people realize, ‘You know what, I can do anything I put my mind to.’ There’s nothing ever wrong or embarrassing about trying your very best.”
Sally Fitzgibbons Photo Gallery – Click here for more photos
(Photos can be purchased at: Best Photos Online )
Surfing Career
Highlights
2017 3rd WSL Ranking
2017 3rd Roxy Pro Gold Coast – Australia
2017 1st Women’s Drug Aware Pro Margaret River – Australia
2017 3rd Oi Rio Women’s Pro – Brazil
2017 3rd Outerknown Fiji Women’s Pro – Fiji
2017 3rd Cascais Women’s Pro – Portugal
2017 3rd Roxy Pro – France
2016 8th WSL Ranking
2016 2st Rip Curl Women’s Pro – Australia
2016 2nd IO Rio Women’s Pro – Brazil
2015 3rd WSL Ranking
2015 2nd Target Maui Pro – Hawaii
2015 3rd Cascais Women’s Pro – Portugal
2015 2nd Vans US Open Surfing – California
2015 1st Fiji Women’s Pro – Fiji
2015 3rd Women’s Drug Aware Pro Margaret River – Australia
2015 3rd Rip Curl Women’s Pro – Australia
2014 4th WSL Ranking
2014 2rd Cascais Women’s Pro – Portugal
2014 2nd Swatch Women’s Pro Trestles – California
2014 3rd Vans US Open Surfing – California
2014 1st Fiji Women’s Pro – Fiji
2014 1st Rio Women’s Pro – Brazil
2014 3rd Rip Curl Women’s Pro – Australia
2014 3rd Women’s Drug Aware Pro Margaret River – Australia
2013 3rd WSL Ranking
2013 1st Roxy Pro France
2013 1st Break Burleigh Pro – Australia
2013 2nd Hunter Ports Women’s Classic – Australia
2013 2nd Roxy Women’s Pro – Australia
2013 3rd Bank NZ Surf Festival Pro – New Zealand
2013 3rd Drug Aware Pro, Margaret River – Australia
2013 2nd Billabong Colgate Plax Pro Rio – Brazil
2013 5th US Open of Surf – California
2013 1st Roxy Pro France
2013 2nd Billabong Pro – Portugal
2012 2nd WSL Ranking
2012 1st Australian Open – Australia
2012 3rd Roxy Pro – Australia
2012 1st Hunter Ports Women’s Classic – Australia
2012 1st Rip Curl Women’s Pro – Australia
2012 1st Billabong Rio Pro – Brazil
2012 3rd US Open of Surf – California
2012 1st Billabong Pro – France
2012 1st Rip Curl Women’s Pro – Australia
2011 2nd WSL Ranking
2011 1st Nike US Open of Surf – California
2011 1st Subaru Pro TSB Bank Women’s Surf Festival – New Zealand
2011 1st Rip Curl Women’s Pro – Australia
2011 3rd Legendary Pacific Coast Pro – Australia
2011 3rd Roxy Pro – France
2011 3rd Beachley Classic – Australia
2011 2nd Billabong Rio Pro – Brazil
2011 1st Swatch Girls Pro – France
2011 3rdRoxy Pro – Australia
2010 2nd WSL Ranking
2010 2nd Movistar Classic WT – Peru
2010 1st Estoril Surf Festival – Portugal
2010 2nd Beachley Classic – Australia
2010 2nd Bank Pro – New Zealand
2010 3rd Rip Curl Pro – Australia
2010 2nd Drug Aware Pro – Australia
2009 3rd Billabong Pro – Hawaii
2009 2nd Gidget Pro – Hawaii
2009 3rd Rip Curl Pro – Peru
2009 1st Estoril Festival – Portugal
2009 3rd Rip Curl Pro – Australia
Height: 5’7”
Surfboard Shaper: Channel Islands – Al Merrick
Sally Fitzgibbon’s Sponsors
Samsung | Piping Hot | X-Dubai | Canon | JS surfboards | Land Rover | Novotel | FCS fins
Media: Blue Crush 2; Dear & Yonder