Caroline Marks is quickly earning her spot as one of the most inspirational and all-around badass women athletes in the world. The American pro surfer has clenched too many titles and championships to list in one sentence – 2020 Super Girl Pro champion and second overall in the 2019 World Surf League (WSL), to name a few – and is now headed to Tokyo, where surfing will make its Olympic debut. “That was one of the biggest, if not the biggest, accomplishments in my career,” Marks told Forbes about qualifying.
The timing of everything couldn’t have been more kismet. While Marks was prepping to compete in the final leg of WSL’s 2019 Championship Tour, Red Bull was also in the process of producing a documentary centred on her pro surfing journey. When Marks got a second-place finish, it also meant she had earned an interim spot at the Olympics, and the crew was there to document the whole thing. “It’s captured on camera. It gives me chills talking about it,” Marks continued. “It means so much to me and I worked so hard to get there.”
The California transplant is making history left and right, and we’re just happy to be along for the ride. Here are seven fun facts you should know about the first-time Olympian, who’s just 19 years old.
Getty / Chris Hyde
She's the First Woman to be Paid the Same Prize Money as Her Male Counterpart
The fight for equal pay has been a long battle for women athletes who traditionally earn less than men. But in April 2019, Marks clenched the Pro Gold Coast championship and became the first woman surfer to win the same share of prize money as the men’s champion. To get there, she defeated Stephanie Gilmore, a seven-time world champion.
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She's Actually Afraid of the Water
As one of the world’s most talented and skilled surfers, you’d think the potential dangers of the ocean wouldn’t be a concern for Marks. Well, you’d be wrong. She told Reuters that drowning is one of her biggest fears, but given that navigating those risks is part of the job, she’s working on it. “You realize how long you can hold your breath and it’s longer than you think,” she said, regarding the breathing exercises she’s been using to help conquer her fears.
Getty/ Matt Dunbar
Kelly Slater is Her Biggest Role Model
Fellow Floridian and competitive surfer Kelly Slater was a big source of inspiration for Marks growing up and still is today. In late 2020, she told Sports Illustrated that in addition to Slater, her role models included “girls I just thought were super gnarly,” such as Serena Williams, Simone Biles, and Lindsey Vonn. “They were just so into what they were doing,” Marks said. “That’s where the best surfers come from, too. They just genuinely love surfing.”
