Maya Gabeira always dreamed of surfing giant waves. She attempts to surf the infamous big wave in Nazaré, Portugal, and nearly drowns. In the following years, Maya undergoes three spine surgeries and weathers a psychological breakdown.
Maya has the blood of a rebel. Her father is legendary activist and politician, Fernando Gabeira. With the same radical spirit, Maya endures – and succeeds. On January 18, 2018 an unprecedented storm approaches Nazaré and Maya surfs the biggest wave a woman has ever surfed. She fights for recognition and becomes the first female surfer honored with a Guinness Book World Record.
Two years later, Maya is the first woman to compete in the men’s division of a big wave competition. She surfs the biggest wave of the year (73.5 feet), breaking her previous world record. In the footsteps of Billie Jean King, Maya has achieved a rare moment in sports – outperforming all men to show the world that women are capable of anything.
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