Monday Beatdown (and get back up) with Mark and Richie

Mark Mathews, welcome back to Monday Beatdown

Crash and burn.  Splash and learn.
A wipeout in surfing is usually forgivable.  It may involve a bit of ragdolling.  Perhaps a long held breath, but by and large, it's just a transient, unpleasant few moments.

Sometimes however, things take a turn for the worse.  And you're facing serious injury.  It's these occasions when our carefree existence suddenly comes into sharp focus.  And its on these occasions when character, more than physical mettle, is the defining feature that gets you through.

I was fortunate to watch the Fighting Fear premiere in Cape Town last night.  Big thanks to Paul Canning and the Oniell crew for setting that up and being such epic hosts.  The stars of the show are Mark Mathews and Richie Vaculik - two hellmen from Maroubra, Sydney, who have both had a few trials in life, and have managed to come out the other side wearing a few scars - both actual and mental.  They're savvy enough to have learnt the lessons of these ordeals, and have shared them brilliantly through the directing talent of their mate, Marcario De Souza.

Mark, as a big wave surfer, and Richie, who charges as well, but is a MMA champ mostly, have been knocked down on occasion, but have always been able to pick themselves up afterwards.  What comes across in the film is the importance of help, advice and support given by friends and family in tough times.  But, ultimately, that salvation has to come from within.

At one point, Mark has suffered a neck injury, and although he's escaped paralysis, his mind is beaten and he feels intimidated by the waves that were his career.  It's a dead-end for him unless he can bury these ghosts.  He's given a book on meditation by his mom and discovers the following lesson in overcoming these negative thoughts of pain and injury.  It comes in three questions:

1. Are these thoughts true?
2. How do these thoughts make you feel?
3. Who would you be without these thoughts?

In asking yourself these questions when fear is holding you back, you can overcome it and go forward.  I learned a valuable lesson last night and look foward to applying it in the future.  Thank you Mark, Richie, and Marcario, not only for a very good night out, but also for something that I can take away and use.  That was the real highlight for me.  Seeing Shipsterns in near real size was pretty epic too.  If you get the chance to see Fighting Fear (wavescape film fest this week, sometime...) I suggest you take it.

So, if the trailer excites you in a puny window on your tiny screen, imagine whats like when two storeys high.