Tiny surfer makes big waves

Six-year-old girl nicknamed 'Flying Squirrel' for exploits on surfboard. She is only in her first year in school.

At six, children would hardly be seen in the water without parental help, let alone going out to sea.

But Quincy Symonds (right) from Brisbane is different. She is such a good surfer that she is nicknamed "The Flying Squirrel", Mail Online reported. And to think that she took up surfing just 18 months ago.

It was not all fun and frolic for Quincy though. Indeed, at birth, she suffered from adrenal insufficiency.

She was unable to produce enough cortisol, a hormone which helps to maintain the body's functions such as blood pressure and heart muscle tone.The condition left her in the intensive care unit for three weeks.

She also has congenital adrenal hyperplasia (an inherited disorder affecting the adrenal gland) which means she is steroid dependent. Since then, the fearless girl has been taking cortisone medication thrice a day.

Her coach, Mr Anthony Pope, said she has a lot of potential and could possibly be the world's best surfer in her age group.

He told Australian Broadcasting Corporation: "She has incredible balance, and her ability to judge the conditions and adjust is at a level I've never seen in someone her age."

Quincy caught her first wave at the age of four when she decided she would go out with her father, Jake, while they were on holiday in the Gold Coast.

"She had no idea what surfing was, but she just wanted to hang out with her daddy," her mother, Kim, said.

But after the first wave, Quincy was addicted, she added.

Mrs Symonds witnessed the change in her daughter that very moment she jumped on the surfboard.

She said: "I was freaking out but once she got on that board, there was something about her that changed."

Two months later, Quincy's parents decided that the ocean was too rough for their little one so she would have to find an alternative - she took up skating and has been excelling in it as well.

Her mother said: "She keeps saying she wants to be a pro-surfer and skater when she grows up. She loves the two sports equally, so she wouldn't be able to choose between the two."

This article was first published on Aug 17, 2014.
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