Heather Clark, two-time Women Masters World Champion, Hawaiian Triple Crown winner, six-time South African Champion and for 12 years a former ASP World Tour surfer, has had a life filled of athletic success since she started surfing 23 years ago.

However, her victory at the recent Panama ISA World Masters Surfing Championship definitely had something special for her.

In October 2009, Heather suffered a serious car accident after being hit by a drunken driver. She spent a lot of time in the hospital, went through several surgeries and came back to the water, to win another world title.

As she fought to recover after the accident, the South African sought to prove to herself and the world that she was able to win again, to surf at the best level and leave behind the bad times at the hospital.

Just like in the 2008 edition of the ISA World Masters Surfing Championship, Clark won every single heat she entered. Taking advantage of her strong backside approach in the perfect Santa Catalina waves, she made it to the final and won another gold medal.

“I wanted really bad to get my second world title,” she said. “It was hard because all the surfers in the final are really good and we all got waves over the 6.00 points range.”

At 39, the surfer from Port Shepstone, could’ve thought many times that her career was over…she has proved now that things are only getting better!