“To continue living my dream, I need this break to devote myself to other projects… including being a mom” Photo: Tim McKenna // ISA
Johanne Defay is going to be a mom! The longtime Championship Tour vet announced on social media this week that she’s expecting her first child. As a result, she’ll be taking a break from the CT.
The announcement came via social media Wednesday, along with some reflections on her past year. Defay touched on an eventful 2024, which included winning a Bronze medal at Teahupo’o in the 2024 Summer Olympics and winning the MEO Rip Curl Pro Portugal. Defay ultimately fell just short of appearing in the WSL Finals at Trestles for the third time since its inception in 2021 but she seemed primed for a return to the top of the rankings in 2025.
Just days before the 2025 season kicked off, the WSL announced Defay would be sitting out the event but offered no details. Meanwhile, Defay said she would be attending to ongoing injuries and was preparing to return to the tour for February’s Surf Abu Dhabi Pro, where she eventually earned an equal 9th. With this news, she says her place on tour will be on hold “for the next few months” and hopes to be back in top form when next season comes around.
“I’ll be honest, the post-Olympics period hasn’t been easy. Where to find the motivation, the desire, the meaning after all those emotions? I went deep inside myself to find this medal,” she wrote. “I also won my sixth World Tour event in Europe last March with my whole family (or almost) watching. For over 15 years, I’ve been traveling the world in pursuit of a childhood dream. I’ve come full circle, I’ve reached my goals, I’m over thirty and perspectives change, priorities evolve. To continue living my dream, I need this break to devote myself to other projects… including being a mom! This new adventure means I’ll have to put the world tour on hold for the next few months, hoping to be back in top form next season! Rest assured, I intend to surf for as long as possible even with my big belly and try to combine motherhood and training as best I can.”
“Men are lucky enough to be able to pursue their professional careers while becoming dads, and I’d like to pursue mine while being a mom,” she added.
Congrats to the new mom to be.
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