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KPBS Midday Edition

Big wave surfer explores fear, empowerment in new children's book

By Jade Hindmon / KPBS Midday Edition Co-Host
Contributors: Harrison Patiño / Producer, KPBS Midday Edition
Published July 27, 2022 at 3:10 PM PDT
This story was published more than 1 year ago.
Maya Gabeira surfs a wave in this undated photo.
Courtesy of Hasumi Ajinomoto
Maya Gabeira surfs a wave in this undated photo.

Big wave surfer Maya Gabeira has added another achievement to her already impressive list of feats: children's book author.

The two-time Guinness World Record holder and seven-time World Surf League Big Wave Award winner has recently released her book "Maya and the Beast."

The book tells the story of a young, asthmatic girl who dreams of surfing big waves and was inspired by details from Gabeira's life — including her own years-long recovery from a 2013 wipeout that nearly killed her.

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Gabeira joined Midday Edition on Wednesday to discuss the inspiration behind the new book.

Maya Gabeira will hold a book signing for "Maya and the Beast" at the La Jolla Riford Library in partnership with Warwick's on Friday, August 5th at 4:30pm. For details on the event, go here.

The book cover of "Maya and the Beast," written by big wave surfer Maya Gabeira and illustrated by Ramona Kaulitzki.
Courtesy of Abrams Children’s Books
The book cover of "Maya and the Beast," written by big wave surfer Maya Gabeira and illustrated by Ramona Kaulitzki, is shown in this undated image.

KPBS Midday Edition
Jade Hindmon
Jade Hindmon is KPBS Midday Edition co-host. Prior to making San Diego home, Jade worked in markets across the Southeast and Midwest, building a network of sources to tell the stories of people in each community. She worked as a multimedia journalist and anchor at WRTV in Indianapolis. While there, she launched “The Weekend Edition of Good Morning Indiana” and generated breaking news content for both broadcast and digital platforms. Prior to Indianapolis, she was an anchor and multimedia journalist at FOX Carolina in Greenville, SC. As part of that Emmy Award winning team, she covered elections, landed exclusive interviews, and interviewed presidential candidates. Jade also had the opportunity to cover international news and was able to travel to South Africa during the 2010 World Cup. Jade is a three-time Emmy nominee, a National Association of Black Journalists Salute to Excellence Finalist, and the recipient of a South Carolina Associated Press Award. She is a proud graduate of Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University.
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