When Tatiana told me her greatest fear was centipedes, I couldn’t believe it. “I think my dad scarred me,” she said. “He would like cut off the pinchers and let it crawl all over his body to freak me out.” She cringed and stuck out her tongue. “Yuck.”
Right before this exchange Tatiana was explaining what it felt like to huck herself into a solid one at Teahupo’o – something that might freak me out a bit. She never used the words scared, or afraid. It was all about just doing it.
How someone could so fearlessly approach Teahupo’o but have such a strong fear of insects was amazing to me. But some fears are just like that, they defy logic and convention.
Tatiana’s been making a name for herself of late. I had the chance to catch up with her at the Supergirl Pro in Oceanside just a week before the madness of the US Open was set to kick off in Huntington Beach.
In spite of being a bit under the weather, she was all smiles. Little did I know, at the time, she’d go on to win the US Open, her first career ‘CT win. She’s currently ranked No. 4 in the world. Her passion’s inspiring. And she’s not afraid to be herself. After her US Open win, for instance, she capped things off with a huge heartfelt scream as she was being carried up the beach. She later explained she was just overcome with emotion. It’s unfortunate she had to explain herself at all.
According to Tatiana, the key to happiness is to do what makes you you. So whether it’s a fear of centipedes, a victorious yell, or anything else that makes you happy, take Tatiana’s lead and embrace it.
