Mick won three world surfing titles, and famously fought off a great white shark in South Africa. But his life out of the water has been threaded through with devastating loss, after the death of his three older brothers. (CW: loss and grief) Mick Fanning grew up on the Gold Coast in a raucous, loving family of five kids, raised by his mum Elizabeth, a nurse who worked night shift. He and his brother Sean were talented young grommets who dreamed of becoming professional surfers. Then at 16, Mick got a phone call. He was going to be sponsored by Quiksilver, to the tune of $30 000 a year. The money was enough to change Mick's life, and he was able to help his mum out financially for the first time. But just as Mick's star was on the rise, his family suffered the most devastating loss. His brother Sean was killed in a terrible accident on the way home from an 18th birthday party. After being out of the water for a time, Mick started surfing again, and soon began to rise up the ranks. Eventually he would win three world titles. But so many of the career highs were threaded through with grief, as Mick and his family endured the premature deaths of two more of his brothers, Peter and Ed. Peter died unexpectedly, and Ed died after a cut on his leg from a coral reef in Madagascar. In 2015, Mick was catapulted into a kind of fame he never wanted when he punched a great white shark which grabbed his leg rope, live on TV in the middle of a surfing contest at Jeffrey Bay in South Africa. More than a decade on Mick has retired from surfing, and he's leaning into the many joys of raising his young family with his wife Brianna. All Heart is published by Simon and Schuster. Help and support is always available by calling Lifeline on 13 11 14. They are available 24 hours a day. This episode of Conversations was produced by Elizabeth Kulas. Executive Producer is Nicola Harrison. It explores surfing, shark attacks, WSL, World Surf League, Margaret River Pro, Bondi, Newcastle, J Bay, grief, masculinity, death, accidents, tragic accidents, losing siblings, sibling loss, great white shark, professional athletes, elite athletes, single mothers, nurses, memoir, writing, books, Australian sporting icons, sporting legends, origin stories, love, relationships, fatherhood, psychics, mediums, Rip Curl, Quicksilver, Billabong, surf brands, learning to surf, Australian surf sports.
