Learning to surf just before turning 50 was Inessa’s only option

👋 Hi, I’m Inessa

I started surfing a month before I turned 50. It was August 2020, and there was nothing else to do on Oahu, Hawai’i. I had never imagined I’d surf—definitely not at that age. Wasn’t I too old for that?

Before I started surfing, my main fitness activity was hiking. But during COVID, they closed the hiking trails. Ridiculous, right? So one day, my friend invited me to join her on a surf lesson with an uncle. Out of boredom, I agreed.

😬 Overcoming fear

I was apprehensive at first. I’m an okay swimmer and feel pretty comfortable in flat water. But once, long ago, I got beat up by a shore break wave back on the East Coast, and it really scared me. So waves were something I feared. To be honest, I still do.

We went out in small waves, and it was fun. The uncle gave me a push, and I was actually able to stand up and ride for a little while. It wasn’t as scary as I thought it would be, so I kept going. I took a few more lessons and soon got myself a used board.

💕 A love that grew

I can’t say it was love at first sight. It was a love that has grown deeper over time.

It took me quite a while to get the hang of it. I think for the first two years, I pearled at least every other wave—I just could not get the timing right. And being small, at 5’2” and 110 pounds, made it hard for me to handle the board.

But something made me stick with it. I think, at first, it was the challenge—because it was so hard, and I just couldn’t quite get it. And those rare moments when I did get it were especially rewarding because they took so much effort.

🌅 A whole new world

I felt like a new world had opened up to me, a world I never thought was possible. It was an activity I could do with friends or by myself, and living in Hawai’i, I was lucky that I could surf nearly every day of the year.

And it became the most intense meditation I’ve ever experienced—when I surfed, nothing else mattered. I had to focus my full attention on the moment. All my problems were left at the beach. It was free therapy, and I loved that aspect of it.

👩‍🦳 Building a community

In my early 50s, a few years into my surfing journey, I noticed that most surfers were a lot younger than me. But occasionally, I’d see women my age—and even older—surfing. They always inspired me, and I wanted to create a surf community for older women.

As I contemplated the idea, I noticed a post by Lisa Alfano in a Facebook group expressing the same desire. We connected, and soon the Sassy Silver Surfers group was born. It’s a Facebook group for women 50 and over, which currently has over 1,100 members from all over the world. If you’re a woman 50 and over, please join us there!

💪 Surfing at 54

Now at 54, I continue making slow progress in my surfing, and I’m loving every minute of it. Surfing has changed my identity—I now see myself as a surfer. It’s helped me feel more connected to the land where I live—Hawai’i, the birthplace of surfing.

Thanks to surfing, I feel that I’m in the best physical shape of my life.

And thanks to surfing, I’m in the best mental shape too. Whenever I feel down, I just go surf. Inevitably, I feel better after a session.

🎯 My mission

My personal mission is to live and promote a healthy, active, and empowered life—especially for women at midlife and beyond.

To support that mission, I recently started an Instagram channel where I’ll be posting mindset and movement tips to help us thrive in midlife and beyond. Everyone is welcome to join me at @Sassy.n.Silver.

✨ Let’s get stronger together

I’m creating a community where we can support each other and get stronger together. My first initiative is a 30-day push-up challenge starting March 24. It’s never too late to join in!

The rules are simple: just do as many push-ups as you can each day and post a comment on my IG channel @Sassy.n.Silver. We can get stronger at any age—one push-up at a time.