“I Couldn't Get Out of Bed for SIX Weeks”: Champion Surfer Lucy Campbell on Burnout, Prioritising Rest and Learning to Slow Down

What the Health

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Wednesday, 12 August 2026 - 55 minutes

This week we're asking what happens when our drive to push ourselves goes too far, and whether we need to rethink our relationship with rest, recovery and our bodies. Claira Hermet is joined by eight-time national women's surfing champion Lucy Campbell to talk about building a career in professional surfing, the changing landscape for women in the sport, and the pressure female surfers face around their appearance. Lucy opens up about experiencing severe burnout in 2024, the self-doubt and chronic fatigue that preceded it, spending six weeks unable to get out of bed, and how the experience completely changed her relationship with rest and recovery. She also discusses learning to listen to her body, making space for gentler forms of exercise, and why she wants more women to see sport as something they can do for fun, rather than something they have to be good at.

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