“A friend of mine here is an ex-pro windsurfer who sometimes talks about when he used to be ‘in training’ and I realised that I actually consider myself an athlete in training, even though I’m over 40!

The idea of being in training, it brings a lot of self-confidence that I didn’t feel before (and it is also an excuse to go windsurfing guilt-free!). I say it jokingly but there’s something to it.  As I get older I think it is more and more important to stay in good shape. Having a sport that I’m passionate about and is so incredibly fun makes it easy. Going running or swimming laps for me is a chore I need to do to stay healthy, whereas windsurfing is something I actually look forward to doing but keeps me in shape at the same.  And in many ways it is an anti-depressant; I know I can always go out on the water and get rid of all those negative feelings that creep up in life.  It keeps me centred. My kids sometimes get mad at me if I go windsurfing – I tell them that I have to go if they want to have a happy mom.  It is the truth.

It could so easily have been me up there. It could have been any of the many days I’d been there.  Is it this that made me move to Bonaire?  Probably deep down yes – there is something to that.  It’s obviously more complicated than that – but it makes it very easy not to have regrets about leaving Wall Street.   I am so thankful to be alive – to be on Bonaire – to get to work on my spocks nearly every day.  I’m probably too aware of how fragile life is.  We only have one life to live – maybe it’s going to be short – I have proof of that now – so I am going to live in a great place and do what love to do.”

Marji’s story originally appeared in the 2012 Boards Flatwater Annual, she has probably improved a lot more since then, and you can find out more about the magazine here.