Nationality?
Australian.

Current Position?
Junior Medical Officer.

Education and work experience?
PhD in pain research – University of New South Wales.
Doctor of Medicine – Griffith University, Queensland.
Rotating Junior Medical Officer in the Illawarra and Shoalhaven regions on the south coast of New South Wales, Australia.

Previous Volunteer Work?
My first taste of volunteering in Indonesia was as part of the “Sumba Project”, which I joined while studying for my medical degree. Sumba is an island in Indonesia with poor health outcomes primarily from limited health knowledge, resources and infrastructure. The Sumba project with fellow medical students and doctors focuses on creating on-the-ground educational programs to combat the spread of disease on the island. Some past projects aimed to limit the health burden of tuberculosis and malaria by educating local healthcare workers on how to prevent, identify, diagnose, treat and manage infected individuals in the local community.

Medical interests?
I’m unsure at the moment. I like the idea of remaining a generalist where I can apply my knowledge to help people living in a range of different settings and communities. I’d like to work overseas at some stage as well.

Local surf spot?
Werri beach, Gerringong.

What is your favourite surf destination?
Indonesia.

Travel experience?
Europe, South America, Japan, Thailand, New Zealand and Indonesia a few times.

Best surf trip ever?
Unexpectedly, probably a trip down the coast of New Zealand I did with my girlfriend last year. She wasn’t as stoked with the amount of surf time as I was.

Worst surf trip ever?
Not really a surf trip, but any time I decided to try my luck surfing on the Superbank when I was living up on the Gold Coast

What is the best thing about surfing?
How good you feel afterwards. It’s mindfulness and exercise wrapped into one, and the day always seems easy if it starts off with a surf.

Best advice you were ever given with regards to surfing?
The “no check” surf. Those days when you know the forecast isn’t great, and you get changed and paddle out anyway without checking it beforehand. Sometimes it backfires, but most of the time, you feel better for doing it.

Your favourite surfer in the world, and why?
Probably, Creed McTaggart. I like his style and the boards he rides.

Current go-to surfboards? (make and dims)
Mainly DP boards by Dylan Perese. He’s a local shaper from the south coast of NSW who makes good boards.