Margaret River surfing star Willow Hardy shaking the tin after crucial surgery following Newcastle disaster

Teenage surfing sensation Willow Hardy is facing a significant setback despite remaining firm on her Championship Tour ambitions. The Margaret River surfer has undergone critical surgery following a mishap in Newcastle while competing in the World Surf League’s Challenger Series. Willow was one of the entrants in the Newcastle Surfest – the men’s title later won by fellow Margaret River mainstay Jacob Willcox – when she injured herself during some off-site recreational surfing. “Unfortunately, after being knocked out in the first event of the season in Newcastle, I went for a free surf down the beach and got awkwardly compressed in a barrel,” she said. “I sustained a serious syndesmosis injury – completely tearing three ligaments and detaching another from the bone. It required immediate surgery.” The young surfer and her family were now hoping supporters could chip in for the expensive medical costs because Willow lacked private health cover. Donations above $20 were in with a chance to score a prize pack curated by Willow’s sponsors. She said qualifying for the Challenger Series was a huge milestone in her pursuit of breaking into the top-tier game and winning the chance to compete on the world tour as a regular competitor rather than a wild card, as she has twice now for the Margaret River Pro. Willos underwent surgery in Perth on June 10, just days after the mishap. She still hoped to be back in action in time for the third CS event in the US starting July 29. Willow’s father Gene Hardy said she had been undergoing rehabilitation on the east coast at Surfing Australia’s High Performance Centre. Willow flew back into town for a short stint this week, but planned to return to the HPC as part of her pathway back to competition in California at the end of the month. To help Willow out and be in the running for the aforementioned prizes, visit asf.org.au/campaigns/willow-hardy-surgery/willow-hardy-s-surgery.