A profile of professional surfer Nicole Morgan
Schools: St John the Baptist Primary School, Belleek; St Charles Primary School, Sydney; St Mary's Primary School, Carnarvon, Western Australia; Glanmore Primary School, Swansea, Wales; Jakarta International School, Indonesia; Sacred Heart Secondary School, Ballyshannon; Coláiste Cholmcille, Ballyshannon.
Sport: Surfing is my sport. It is a fresh, diverse, exhilarating and exciting sport. I also run, swim and train with weights in the gym to enhance my surfing fitness and ability. Even when I stop competing I know surfing will always remain a huge part of my lifestyle.
Other school sports: I dabbled in a little bit of basketball and Gaelic football. I was nearly always on the bench for basketball, though, as I was quite small. Surfing was my main sport, it took up most of my time outside of school and meant missing school here and there too.
Who got you started?My parents are responsible for my love of sport. They always encouraged my siblings and me to be active and healthy. My dad surfs too, so we were always at the beach on weekends and during school holidays. They taught us to swim at an early age so I suppose my love of the water developed from there.
The Best of Days:It was probably during a game of basketball against a tough team. All of our bases got fouled off, I was the very last substitute option towards the end of the game, which we were losing. I was told "not to move my feet, even if they run at you!" So stand I did! I got knocked over so much but it meant a lot of the opposition then got fouled off. I then went on to rebound from a missed shot by the opposition and set up a team-mate for the winning lay-up in the last 10 seconds of the match. I was buzzing! I felt I had proven to the coaches that I was worthy enough to be brought on from time to time. It was an experience that was worth the sore backside from all the knocks and falls!
The Worst of Days: Losing the under-18 final of the Irish Junior National Surfing Championships in my last junior year - it meant I never got to be Junior Irish Champion. But I got over it quickly enough. There is no point taking part in competitive sport if you can't take losing with winning.
Most inspiring sporting memory: Can't think of one in particular. I wished I was: I wouldn't mind being able to surf like Kelly Slater (nine-times World Surfing Champion), but I've accepted that that just isn't going to happen . . . his surfing talents are simply freakish and amazing.
If I could turn back time: To be honest, I'm quite content with my surfing career to date and I'm not finished just yet. Sport is a huge part of my life, but it's also not the be all and end all for me and this makes it easier to have no regrets.
The value of school sport to you:I think sport (along with general exercise) in school is so important. It kept me healthy and fit during my school days. Looking after our bodies and health from a young age will help to prevent future illnesses and problems.
Most admired:Bethany Hamilton, a surfer from Hawaii. She was attacked by a shark while surfing and lost her left arm. She got back into the water not long after and continues to compete at a professional level, very often beating the world's top surfers. She is a true athlete and remains modest and grounded despite the major attention she receives from the media and the general public.
Not too keen:Any sportsperson who is a sore loser, doesn't play fair, cheats or gets too carried away with success and develops an ego.
One sporting wish: I hope I will look back at my surfing career in 20 years time and think 'yes, I gave it my all, I reached my potential and I achieved all that I could achieve'.
• Nicole Morgan is a professional surfer who, in October, finished 13th at the World Surfing Games in Portugal, making her the fourth-ranked surfer in Europe. She also won the British Professional Surfing Association title this season. She was born in Fermanagh, had spells living in Australia, Wales and Indonesia with her family before settling in Bundoran.
