New world surfing champion Molly Picklum on her days as a Shelly Beach, Central Coast grommet

Good golly, Miss Molly! The kid who used to miss the school bus on purpose, so she could keep surfing on NSW’s Central Coast, has been crowned world champion.

“I cannot believe it; I’m the world champion,” 22-year-old Molly Picklum said as she whooped in celebration in the waters off Fiji. “I’m so stoked* to bring it back to Australia.”

The world number one had gone into the surf only needing to win the first of three heats against American Olympic gold medallist Caroline Marks to take the World Surf League (WSL) title.

Marks came in hot after winning earlier heats, while a tense Picklum turned too deep and fell on the first wave.

“I didn’t make it easy on myself. I was pretty excited and made it hard,” she said with her customary candour.

Picklum has won the hearts of surfers and fans on the tour by wearing her own on her sleeve, talking openly of facing her fears and being grateful for a wonderful life.

Ahead of the final, mulling the prospect of not winning, she said simply, “I’m OK with it.”

“I’ve learned this year, more than any other year, that I’m happy with my life,” she said.

“I love this job, I love surfing. For me to be able to say that, it gives me goosebumps. I think that is the world title trophy every human being wants and I kind of already have it.”

But then she went ahead and won the actual title too.

“I got locked in and did what I have done all year,” she said.

That meant two fist-pumping barrel* rides in each of the final two heats on the waves of Cloudbreak* which saw The Central Coast charger win her sport’s ultimate prize.

“I found my form in that second heat, and it just solidified for me. There were no ifs or buts about my year, this year,” she said.

“I cannot believe I am a world champion. I’m so stoked,” she said, as her partner Austin Hendery celebrated in the water with her. “My god … it’s like a dream.”

Picklum is the first Aussie to take the title since eight-time world champion Stephanie Gilmore in 2022. Her victory puts her in the company of other homegrown greats, including Tyler Wright and Layne Beachley.

“It’s such a trip to be a Central Coast kid, growing up looking up to Steph and Layne and Sally (Fitzgibbons) and Tyler and all of those girls, and to now be on a list with them,” Picklum said.

“I just feel so honoured and grateful. There have been so many amazing females in surfing who have come before us and paved the way for me and others to get out there and do what we love, so it’s a trip to be amongst that now.

“It really is true that it takes a village to raise a child, and to have the whole Central Coast behind me, as well as my team around me all year, and my family and friends, they know me and how hard I work, so to do it in front of them is so, so special.”

In her hometown, the North Shelly Boardriders were watching and celebrating the local kid turned world-beater. Life member Trent Brailey told the ABC that Picklum was an inspiration for local youth.

“She’s an inspiration to us all, and she always has been,” he said.

In an exclusive interview with The Daily Telegraph before winning the title, Picklum shared the early dedication that took her to the top of the world when she moved to Shelly Beach on The Central Coast in Year 7.

“I started to ride my bike in the morning to the surf and then I’d, like, race back in, make the bus,” she said.

But she quickly worked out the bus would get her to school 20 minutes before roll call.

“The 20 minutes, I knew I could still have 15 minutes and surf, and then bolt and do the absolute sprint on the bike to school,” she said. “And it was kind of a game, you know, it was like how many waves can you catch from (the) time a bus leaves to then get on your bike and actually make it to roll call.”

And it turns out catching waves inside a limited time is exactly the kind of pressure that helps build a future world champion.

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GLOSSARY

• stoked: extremely excited and happy about something
• candour: being open and honest, telling the truth in a matter-of-fact way
• barrel: so called because the wave looks like a tube or cylinder, these waves are hollow when they break, creating an airspace between the face of the wave and the lip that good surfers can ride through
• Cloudbreak: famous left-hand reef surf break off Fiji

EXTRA READING

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Aussie surfers ring the bell at Bells

Brave surfer’s one-legged ride

QUICK QUIZ

1. Picklum moved in Year 7 – where to and why was the move so significant?
2. How did Picklum defeat in the final?
3. How many barrels did she ride through in the heat that delivered the title?
4. Which other female Australian surfing champions are named in the article?
5. Picklum is a member of which local surfing club back home?

LISTEN TO THIS STORY

CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES
1. What is a champion?
“Being a champion is about more than winning the trophy.” Do you agree with this statement? Use information from the story to write a paragraph explaining what you think.

Time: allow at least 25 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: English, Health and Physical Education, Personal and Social Capability

2. Extension
Write a story inspired by young Molly’s race to catch some waves before roll call. Make your story suspenseful, fun and exciting.

Time: allow at least 25 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: English

VCOP ACTIVITY
Girls in sport
There are many sports in which we’re seeing an increase in female participants. What sports have you noticed, or maybe joined yourself, where you have seen an increase in the number of girls now playing? How do you feel about this? Why do you feel this way? Do you think it’s a positive shift? Why/why not?

Use your VCOP to express how you feel towards girls taking up more sporting roles. Explain why you feel this way. Use your emotive language to express your point of view.