Gerroa surfing mum Juliana Scopel ready to 'dance' her way to an Australian Longboard championship

The Gerroa pilates specialist took up surfing later in life and only got "serious" about competition around five years ago.

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Now the 42-year-old wants to show her daughters - and anyone else watching - that whether you're a mum or an older woman, anything is possible.

"It is possible to do something fun when you have children, you still can do it," Scopel told the Mercury.

"You just gotta organize yourselves ... but I want to show them that it's possible; I don't want them to stay at home and forget about themselves.

"I want to empower women to do more for themselves."

If it wasn't for surfing as a therapy, the mum-of-two may have forgotten herself too after struggling with post-natal depression.

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After her first child she became withdrawn and wasn't paying attention, barely pushing through the days. By the time her second child came along, she said it hit her much harder and she needed to do something about it.

With the help of a Gerringong surf coach, and her local Surfing Mums Australia group (where parents take turns to look after the kids on the beach), she found a light in a dark place.

"It was really hard to get myself to surf when I was feeling so depressed, so sad and without energy," Scopel said.

"But somehow I knew it that would work and I kept pushing."

Around five years ago she joined the Mollymook Longboarders club, which has many female members (including former champion Pam Burridge), and Scopel finally felt "welcome" in a sport dominated by males.

Here she picked up her game and the appetite for competition grew and grew, as did her desire to look graceful and "dance" across the waves as she'd seen many longboard champions do.

To win a title at the national competition held in Port Macquarie this August would be "acknowledgement" as a woman, as a mother and as a champion.

This will be the second time competing in the event, with podium finishes in 2022, while it's the third time qualifying after COVID cancelled an event in 2020.

Scopel is holding a raffle to help get her to the nationals with prizes ranging from pilates sessions to restaurant vouchers. For more details visit: www.surfcoastpilatesandsurfing.com.

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