Tyler Wright is one step closer to making the perfect comeback.
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Wright, who is back competing after a 17-month lay-off, and fellow South Coast surfer Sally Fitzgibbons have reached the Maui Pro quarter finals in Hawaii.
The event marks the 10th and final round of the World Surf League's 2019 Women's Championship Tour.
Wright has already made a big splash, overcoming a strong challenge from World No.2 Lakey Peterson on Monday to qualify for the quarter finals. She is scheduled to take on France's Johanne Defay on Tuesday.
It's been a long road to recovery for the Culburra Beach surfer.
The 25-year-old was initially diagnosed with Influenza A and was hospitalised in South Africa ahead of the 2018 J-Bay Corona Open.
Wright told the WSL this week that the illness had "messed up my brain and my body" and it had taken her 17 months to recover.
"I can feel that I've been out of the water for a year-and-a-half. I can feel that I'm 10 kilograms lighter. Things are different. It is an adjusting period," Wright said.
"[But] I love being back in the water. I haven't surfed this much since I was 14. I've got boards everywhere. I'm exposing myself to bigger and heavier waves and love it. I've taken a lot of steps to get to this point, and it's been a lot of hard work. And after Maui, there'll be another step [taken]."
Meanwhile, Fitzgibbons is looking to secure her second tour victory in 2019 this week.
The result would complement her winning the Rio Pro in Brazil in June.
The Gerroa surfer is scheduled to face Brazilian Tatiana Weston-Webb, ranked No.7, in a Maui Pro quarter-final on Tuesday.
Fitzgibbons, 28, proved far too strong for New Zealander Paige Hareb in their round of 16 match up on Monday.
Fellow Aussies Stephanie Gilmore and Nikki Van Dijk have also reached the quarter finals stage.
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Joshua Bartlett
A sporting fanatic who is keen to promote all codes in the Illawarra and abroad. Mercury's chief football reporter.
A sporting fanatic who is keen to promote all codes in the Illawarra and abroad. Mercury's chief football reporter.
