Professional surfer Lakey Peterson will speak at Providence Hall’s chapel on Monday, Jan. 28.
Ranked No. 3 by the Association of Surfing Professionals in North America and No. 7 on the ASP Women’s World Ranking, Peterson is one of the world’s leading female surfers, known for her progressive aerial maneuvers, athletic force and meteoric rise through the ranks at a young age.
Andy Gill, director of the outdoor education department at Providence Hall, said he expects that Peterson’s presentation will be “inspiring for students who surf and appreciate how difficult the sport is,” as well as for nonsurfers “who can see how Lakey’s passion and faith drive and motivate her to discipline herself and invest in continually excelling.”
Dubbed “Lakey Surf Legend” at age 5, it was no surprise that by age 11 Peterson was surfing competitively. At age 14, she won the NSSA Open Women’s Title by performing the first-ever female aerial maneuver in competition. She went on to defend her title in 2010 and was named the 2010-11 ASP North American Regional Champion for the women’s and junior women’s division.
At 16, Peterson had the opportunity to compete as a wildcard entry in the 2011 U.S. Open of Surfing, a Women’s World Tour event where she placed runner-up in the biggest surf event in the world. She completed the 2011 season by winning every event in the North American Junior Pro series.
Now in her rookie year as part of the official ASP Women’s World Tour, Peterson has yet again proved herself a force to be reckoned with, winning the 2012 U.S. Open of Surfing in August.
Peterson’s interests go beyond surfing. She is an all-around athlete and deeply committed philanthropist connected to several nonprofits. She was featured in the Nike 6.0 women’s surf film, Leave a Message. A feature-length film, Zero to 100, chronicling her professional and personal journey, will make its world premiere in early 2013.
The Providence Hall community meets for chapel from 8:20 to 8:55 a.m. in the gym at the Boys and Girls Club, 632 E. Canon Perdido St. All who are interested are welcome to attend.
Providence Hall, founded in 2007, provides college preparatory education integrating the Christian faith for grades 7 to 12. The school’s outdoor education program provides a variety of options for students to try new activities, including surfing, rock climbing and many more, as they learn to embrace a fitness lifestyle.
— Elaine Rottman is the director of advancement at Providence Hall.
Comments
