indu Teen Athlete Sponsorship Programme
Lauren Sandland
Key facts:
Age: 18
Sport: Surfing
Instagram: @laurensandlandsurfer
How did you get into surfing?
"I first started surfing when I was about 5 or 6. My first proper memory of surfing was when I went on a family holiday in France and my dad pushed me on to a wave down a fun French sandbank. I went straight down the line and had such a good time so when I got back home I didn’t stop. Also my older brother went surfing with friends from the village a lot, so I often went out surfing with him from an early age."
What do you love about your sport?
"I really love surfing as I love pushing myself in the sea, the feeling of trying bigger manoeuvres and being more progressive on the waves is incredible. Also, surfing is really important to me as it always keeps me active and it really helps me to set goals and keep a fit, strong and healthy lifestyle so that I can surf better in the sea and in doing so, have more fun! As well as that, surfing has really helped to improve my confidence in and out of the water. It’s brought me to new places when travelling and I’ve met loads of lovely new people through surfing too."
What is your proudest sporting achievement(s) to date?
"Recently I was really proud to have won the 2024 British Open Women’s and Under 18 Girls GB Surfing Cup. It was incredible to surf against girls who are at such a high standard and to be able to come out on top in pumping waves was really special for me."
Any future goals and aspirations?
"This past year, now I’ve finished college, I’ve started competing in WSL European Qualifying Series so I’d really like to get some good results in the European surfing events and maybe hopefully qualify for the WSL Challenger Series one day.
I would also really like to qualify for the Olympics one day too, as it’s an amazing opportunity for me, now that surfing is part of the Olympics. I think it would be an incredible experience to be around so many amazing athletes. As well as competitions, I also want to keep on progressing my surfing and enjoy myself as much as possible."