World Champion Para Surfer Zoe Smith: From Losing a Leg to Riding Waves

EP:90

In this episode, I sit down with world champion para-surfer Zoe Smith, whose story is not the sugar-coated kind. After losing her leg in a car accident, Zoe went through years of depression, identity loss, and frustration. But instead of settling, she carved out a brand new version of herself — in the surf, no less.

We talk about everything from mindset and ableism to why people need to stop assuming every disabled person is angling for the Paralympics. Zoe’s journey is raw, funny, and fiercely honest — and full of the kind of perspective that makes you rethink what’s actually stopping you.

Key Takeaways:

• You don’t need a five-year plan. You just need to start.
• Adversity doesn’t make you a hero — how you respond to it does.
• There’s no one-size-fits-all recovery. Let people grieve, then grow.
• Surfing isn’t just a sport — for Zoe, it’s been a tool for freedom and identity.
• Want to support someone with a disability? Ditch the pity and ask real questions.
• The dark place can become a comfort zone. The real growth? Punching your way out.
• Being “strong” isn’t always helpful — sometimes it just hides the pain.
• Surfing in a wave pool and the ocean are two different beasts — but both teach you something about resilience.

Timestamps:

00:00 – Intro: Recorded at The Wave Surf Sisters Weekend

00:14 – Zoe shares how she lost her leg and the identity crisis that followed

02:50 – “Are you going to the Paralympics?” – Why that question can miss the point

06:40 – Finding community at a limb loss charity event — and finally feeling seen

09:10 – Why surfing (not football) gave Zoe a fresh start — no comparisons, just progress

13:48 – From total beginner to competing for Team England in months

18:40 – Mid-roll ad break opportunity (great natural pause in the conversation)

20:12 – How to talk to kids about prosthetics — and why language matters

24:25 – Zoe on surviving the “dark place” and building mindset one wave at a time

31:30 – The day a grom and his dad saw Zoe surf — and everything shifted

35:18 – Why surfing clears the mind like nothing else — even in a wave pool

41:00 – Quick-fire round: comfort zones, dares, and the joy of being underestimated

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