Thirteen-year-old Australian surfing prodigy Leihani Zoric is preparing to compete alongside her childhood idols at the International Surfing Association (ISA) World Surfing Games in Peru. The young athlete from Broken Head in New South Wales recently became Australia’s first Aboriginal world surfing champion after winning the under-18 division at the junior world titles.
From Childhood Idols to Teammates
Growing up, Zoric watched legendary Australian surfers dominate international competitions, finding inspiration in Stephanie Gilmore and Tyler Wright both in and out of the water. Now, Zoric has joined Gilmore and Wright on the Australian women’s national team for the Olympic qualification event, which serves as a step toward the Los Angeles 2028 Games. As reported by Sport | The Guardian, the teenager described hanging out with her former idols as a cool experience.
Zoric secured her spot on the senior national team following a meteoric rise that saw her claim the junior world title in September as a wildcard entry in the under-18 category. Competing against surfers twice her age in Peru, the eighth-grade student expressed excitement rather than nervousness about the upcoming challenge.
Looking further ahead, Zoric has set her sights on the Los Angeles Olympics, where she will be 15 years old. Her ultimate goal for the next few years is to secure an Olympic gold medal, viewing each step of the qualification process as part of that journey.
A Historic Achievement and Future Goals
As a Yued girl, Zoric takes immense pride in her heritage, noting that her culture forms a huge part of her identity and shapes her as an athlete. Her recent victory made her Australia’s first Aboriginal world champion, fulfilling a goal she first declared to her kindergarten teacher. She also aims to follow in the footsteps of Soli Bailey by wearing both the Aboriginal and Australian flags on her jersey when she eventually reaches the World Surf League (WSL).
While acknowledging that qualifying for the WSL involves an arduous route through regional qualifiers and the Challenger series, Zoric has targeted 2029 as a potential entry year when she turns 16. Noting that other young prodigies have reached the tour before turning 20, Zoric emphasized her ambition to succeed immediately.
Zoric stated that she wants to become world number one in her first year, win events, and capture world titles rather than simply making up the numbers. However, she remains practical about her timeline and maintains a backup plan to pursue a career as a doctor if surfing does not work out.
