Why the most talented surfer in the world still needs a coach

Apple TV’s ‘Make or Break’ documents the 2022 World Surf League Championship Tour, capturing all the drama as the best surfers in the world battle for supremacy.

Several of the current reigning male surfers are Brazilian, and episode 2, named ‘The Brazilian Storm’ captures the showdown between Gabriel Medina (at the time world no 1) and Italo Ferreira (no 3).

The contrast between the surfers is the stuff of rivalry legend. Gabriel, who has just recently married, is tall, handsome, and introverted. He has no interest in partying and in his downtime potters around his house and hangs out with his wife Yasmin (a model, of course). Gabriel, when speaking to the camera, is softly spoken and thoughtful.

Italo, on the other hand, is short and stocky and exerts wild, energiser bunny-level energy. Italo travels with a friend/assistant who looks after him. The episode underlines the contrast between the two men in its opening scenes; Gabriel and Yasmin cooking and then eating a simple meal in their home, and then cutting to Italo, who is looking at girls on Instagram while his assistant prepares dinner for him.

Gabriel Medina (left) and Italo Ferreira (right)

Gabriel’s life has been a flurry of recent changes. He and Yasmin have married and moved to Australia, he has become estranged from his close-knit family and parted ways with his stepdad, who had been his coach and manager. Looking for a new coach, he is put in touch with former pro Andy King. The episode tells the progress of their friendship, beginning at the point at which the surfer asks for Andy’s help, we see the pair preparing for their first surf together, and then later catch snippets of intense, hurried conversations between competition heats.

The relationship between Andy and Gabriel is a special one. The two speak of one another with deep respect and loyalty. And the viewers’ admiration for this remarkable relationship only grows when we hear the coach’s backstory. Having achieved his dream of going pro, Andy hit his head in a fight outside a Cronulla nightclub, gaining a massive head injury, and losing his balance, hearing, and career.

Yasmin, Andy and Gabriel.

The relationship between Andy and Gabriel is a remarkable illustration of the power of coaching.

Andy, questioned on what he could possibly contribute to one the best surfers in the world, is not deluded; he knows the limits of his powers. He observes “Anyone’s fooling you if they say, they coaching someone that’s that skilled, and that talented. I guess it’s more like a caddy. It’s just watching the ocean from dawn to dusk and figuring out where the most opportunities are. What we are doing, is basically just trying to stack the odds in his favour.”

And yet, when the ‘why?’ question is put to Gabriel, he gives a very different response. In a voice quivering with emotion, he confessed. “Andy… he overcame himself. He had to trust and believe and be strong. I felt I needed to do the same. That’s why I want to be helped by him.”

While Andy's technical expertise is undoubtedly sound, to Gabriel, what sets him apart from hundreds of other surf coaches is his life; from Andy, he is able to receive the emotional support of a man who has lost so much but retained a love for surfing.

The individual aspiration to improve and grow will only take us so far. If we wish to truly wring out every ounce of our latent character and competence, we must seek the input of a trusted fellow traveller. No matter how large or small our God-given talent is, there will come a point after which the opportunities for further growth become minimal.

Bobby Clinton calls this the plateau barrier. He writes, “All leaders have the capacity to influence. God wants to develop that capacity over a lifetime. Leaders have a tendency to cease developing once they have some skills and ministry experience. they may be content to continue the ministry as is, without the need to develop further.” The Making of a Leader p114-115.

The most remarkable thing about Gabriel is his humility; his enormous talent has not diminished his desire to continue learning and seeking support. The Andy/Gabriel relationship works- an onscreen expert comments that Andy’s arrival helped still Gabriel’s emotional state, and elevated his performance- because the surfer knows he needs support and the coach is able to provide it.

This is the heart of coaching. Even the most talented, experienced, and skilled among us need someone who can see what they cannot, ask the right questions, and help them navigate the waves—both external and internal.

For pastors and church leaders, the challenges may not be 10-foot barrels or high-pressure heats, but the demands of leadership, decision-making, and spiritual resilience at times feel equally intense. Coaching provides a trusted guide, someone who can bring clarity, wisdom, and perspective when the stakes are high.

Like Gabriel Medina, we all reach points where talent and effort alone are not enough. Whether you are leading a congregation, planting a new ministry, or discerning your next step, coaching offers the kind of partnership that helps you go further, with greater confidence and clarity.

If you’re ready to invest in your leadership, grow beyond your current limits, and navigate the next season of ministry with greater effectiveness, let’s talk. Coaching could be the difference between staying where you are and breaking through to where God is calling you next.