What makes a person a champion? Is it their accomplishments? Is it their desire? Is
it their determination? Or is it how they measure up to…. themselves? For one
such athlete it goes beyond this as she includes wanting to make a difference
in everyone’s lives, especially her daughter’s. Musical Artist Bruce
Springsteen sings the line, “Is a dream a lie if it don’t come true, or is it
something worse?” from the song “The River.” That is why women’s water sport
champion Maria Souza has shown time and time again, that she is that champion
and has been relentless in making her dreams come true.
Souza has been involved in many different water sports over the years, but it is for
her tow-in surfing that gave her the most recognition to start. She has been
credited as the first woman ever to compete in tow-in surfing as she got
started in back in 1989-90. Tow-in surfing is a method where a partner pulls
you into a giant wave with the assistance of some form of motor vehicle, whether
it is in the form of a water vehicle or helicopter. “I met my ex-husband
(surfer Laird Hamilton) and they were testing and starting the tow-in with a
zodiac,” recalls Maria. However, it is her stand-up paddle surfing competitions
at Channel Crossing, along with teammate Andrea Moller, which has made Maria the
most proud, as she remarked, “All wins and no losses.”
Stand-up paddle surfing is a sport where you are standing on a surfboard and using a
paddle to brush strokes through the water instead of using waves only as the
force behind your movements. Think of it as the water version of cross country
skiing as it is about endurance and not the quick spurt. Although Souza is
proud of her accomplishments in the water, she grew up hating competitions but
fell in love with the adrenaline of big waves and feels that “surfing is an art
form and should not be judged.”
Maria was born in March of 1969 and is from the city of Recife in Brazil. While living in Brazil,
Maria’s first taste of water sports was swimming. “I did swimming to compliment
my cardio when I did gymnastics,” stated Souza. However, it wasn’t long after
that Maria took off her gymnastic slippers and headed to the ocean. Souza
continued, “I wanted to grow in size and develop as a young lady, my (gymnastics)
training was too intense and the ocean set me free.” Much of Maria’s love for
the ocean is credited to her mother, Edilza. As a
youngster, Edilza used to take Maria and her older sister,
Tai, down to the ocean at sunrises before going to school to suck up water
through their noses and blow the water back out, as her mother believed this prevented
colds. It not only prevented colds, but it gave Maria the confidence that she
could overcome anything in the ocean. “I was 12 years old when I tried it
(surfing) for the first time. Someone let me use their board and I went
straight into a surfing hit, I got pounded, lost the hit but got hooked because
I was so used to the drowning feeling that my mom taught us with the salt water
flushes.
Then things took a turn
as Maria and her ex-husband of five years gave birth to her first child, Izabella, in July of 1995. Maria recalls, “My beautiful Bela was three months old when I became single. I had no
choice but to make the Bela choice. I kept doing all
the ocean life I could but took a nine year break from the extreme sports
venue. I had a mission to be there for her and to teach her right from wrong.
In addition, the frame of mind and the emotional state you must be in to ride
big waves would have been selfish for that moment in my life. It was the best
choice I ever made in my life.”
Despite the success
that Maria was having in the water sport competitions, major sponsorships just
were not in the cards for her and instead of ending her dreams, Maria relished
in it and preferred it. “I had lots of help from local stores as I never really
wanted to sign a contract for money because being a single mom, I could not
promise that I could be on a location to do a promotion, photo shoots or
anything else that was needed of me. Therefore, I had to pretty much sponsor my
hobbies, which in turn have become one of my jobs. Besides, I appreciate it
more because I savored each equipment I bought and I took good care of them
because I know how much and how long I had to save for them,” Souza noted.
It
was also this kind of drive that led her into her own business ventures as
Maria has taken her multi-talents in the water sports world and is adapting
them in the business world. Souza runs Ocean Sports LLC, a company that studies
and teaches body therapy, corrective exercises and injury prevention. Maria has
taken all these techniques and has become a personal trainer in which she also
includes the art of yoga. In addition to personal training, she also teaches stand-up
paddle surfing through Ocean Sports to all that is interested. With all her
focus going towards personal training and water sports lessons, Maria has set
aside for the time being another business venture of hers, Amazon Swim Wear,
which is her line of clothing for the water. “I had to set it (Amazon) on the
side when I started the Ocean Sports School. I had to go back to Brazil to
oversee manufacturing and shipping. It took so much time and energy,” Maria
commented.
Today,
Maria has been living on the island of Maui in Hawaii for nearly half her life
and has been together with her current husband, Kawika,
for about four years. “We met while paddling canoes. He is an ocean lover and
an incredible fishing man. We also have done tandem surfing together. Maria and
Kawika were married in Tahiti and are expecting their
first child together in June 2010. As for the now 14-year old Bela, she is establishing an identity of her own. “Bela helps me on Saturdays and holidays when she is not
with her dad. She is really good with kids and a natural in the ocean. Now she
is involved in volleyball, soccer and just being a teenager. She is still my
best friend and we have a close family life. We eat dinner every night together
and I drive her everywhere so we can chat. She’s a wise old soul,” gushed the
proud mother.
As for the path that
Maria’s life has taken her, she knew early on it that it would always include
the ocean. “Without thinking about it I went with the ocean flow, which also
has included different continents. I am blessed that my being is used to
transform lives and to inspire other women and people I encounter in life, all
through the water ways as I’m more comfortable in the water element than on dry
land,” Souza concedes. She also contends that she “can make a difference in so
many lives and do it from the heart, with the most pure intention.” People,
especially kids, are what motivates Maria to keep
training and learning.
Souza isn’t done giving
back, as she hopes someday to bring back her once a month free stand-up paddle surf
lessons for kids which not only shows the fun aspects of the sport, but also
features a good portion on water sports safety. The lessons have grown so much,
Maria needs to find a new location appropriate enough to handle that many kids
at one time before she can reintroduce the program back to the community of
Maui. However, in the meantime, she continues to give private lessons and has
found the most popular trend these days are the lessons for the
grandparent/grandchild tandem as she has witnessed when both are in the ocean,
age simply disappears. “I get a lot of kids that are interested in learning
stand-up paddle surfing, but lately it has been more of tandem teachings to a
grandparent and grandchild as they bond together,” Souza says.
One of Maria’s inner beauties
is the dreamer within her. She dreams big and with a purpose. Maria’s biggest
dream is to one day develop an ocean center where kids could learn to fish, keep
the ocean clean and to stay healthy through ocean sports. It is also a place
where water sports and fitness would be taught. “I love to work with kids. I
wish their parents and caregivers could give them (kids) the opportunity to
experience water sports and all the healing the ocean provides to one’s life,”
exclaimed Souza.
With all that she has
experienced and accomplished in her 40 years plus on Earth, Souza feels there is
still so much more to experience. She feels that life is a learning process and
that she has not yet reached her peak. Souza continues, “I keep getting more
motivated the more I learn and since I learn so much from my own injuries, I feel
obligated to pass that on, so that every day I have a chance to perpetuate my
life’s lessons.” However, when all is said and done, it is still family that
motivates her and makes her the most happiest. As much as each water sport she
does has its own charm, it’s when she tandem surfs on the long board with Bela, acrobatics with her husband or simply has a soul
surfing session alone that she is on top of the world. With all her family now
living in Maui, they are always together and is a dream come true for Maria as
she needs both the ocean and her family every day.