Mick Fanning, a celebrated three-time surfing world champion, has faced significant personal challenges throughout his life, particularly marked by the loss of his three older brothers. Recently inducted into the Sports Australia Hall of Fame, the 43-year-old Gold Coast native is the youngest of four boys and has endured profound grief since the first tragedy struck in 1998.
His brother Sean tragically died in a car accident at just 20 years old after leaving a party in Coolangatta. Following this, Peter passed away in 2015 at 43 due to complications from an enlarged heart, and this year, Ed, who was 48, succumbed to an infected wound while working as a surf instructor in Madagascar, where he also faced cardiac complications.
Fanning reflected on the impact of these losses, stating, “Life hits you with a sledgehammer every now and then.” He acknowledged the difficulty of processing grief and emphasized that healing is a journey requiring time.
Despite the heartache, Fanning finds strength in the support of his partner, Breeana Randall, and their two children, Xander and baby Lyla. Their presence helps him navigate the darker moments of life.
Additionally, Fanning is acutely aware of how close he came to death himself during a harrowing encounter with a great white shark at Jeffreys Bay in South Africa in 2015. This incident, which involved him instinctively fighting off the shark, is something he’s asked about frequently.
He described the aftermath of the event as surreal, where the celebratory atmosphere turned somber. The gathering that followed the competition felt almost like a wake, as the surf community shared a collective relief at his survival, underscoring the close-knit nature of the surfing world. Fanning recalled, “It felt like being at my own wake because one minute everyone was laughing and the next minute everyone was crying. It was very special, but also such a weird moment.”
