A 55-YEAR-OLD SURFER WITH A PROSTHETIC LEG CONQUERS HUGE WAVES WORLDWIDE
One of the most exhilarating sports is surfing. And because of the tenacity and public achievements of athletes like Pegleg Bennett, sport is now more accessible to others with impairments. As a trailblazer for his local community of Cornwall, England, and a mentor to anyone who aspires to try parasurfing regardless of their disability, the 55-year-old surfer has emerged as a parasurfing icon.
When Bennett was just 13 months old, his foot had to be amputated since he was born without an ankle on his left leg. Even though this event can be considered a setback, his bravery was evident from an early age. After becoming proficient in swimming, he used a prosthetic limb provided by the UK's National Health Service to learn how to surf at the age of 17. He then modified the leg by drilling holes to enhance his performance. “I didn't want to be sitting on the beach, I wanted to be involved,” Bennett told the BBC.
After forty years, Bennett is a professional surfer who can move with ease on the board thanks to a specially made titanium and carbon fibre prosthesis. As an amputee surfer, “I get asked a fair bit as an amputee surfer about how I handle balance,” he shared on Instagram. “For me, 95% of balance is through my back leg. These foot positioning moves happen in seconds, and I don't actually consciously think about them anymore, and they just happen.”
The surfer was born Rick Bennet, but since he was a young child, he went by "Pegleg," which he legally adopted in 2016. His surfing school, Peg's Surf Coaching, which is based on Cornwall beaches, was similarly named after the namesake. He wants to spread his passion for surfing to people of all ages as a certified surf coach and instructor. According to his website, Peg maintains a "can-do" mentality in his approach to coaching, regardless of your inexperience, anxieties, limitations, confidence, or anything else that might be holding you back. He is an amputee surfer who competes and coaches internationally.
One of Bennett's highlights from his international competitions was representing his home country of England and helping them place seventh at the 2021 AmpSurf ISA World Para Surfing Championships. In 2023, he also made an appearance on the British version of Survivor, where he placed fifth and won the respect of millions of viewers who heard his story on the reality competition show.
Whether coaching or racing, one thing seems clear—there's no stopping Bennett if he's set on achieving something. “As far as my competition life goes, I'm gonna keep competing as long as I can, until my body says you've had it or the purse strings go,” Bennett says. “I just want to keep surfing forever.”
