Description In this YA memoir, pro surfer Maya Gabeira tells the awe-inspiring true story of her journey from unstoppable teenager to the Guinness World Record-holding legend she is today Beyond the Board is the untold story of living legend Maya Gabeira who--at 25--broke her back and went on not only to recover but to hold the record for highest wave conquered by any big-wave surfer in the 2019-2020 winter season. Gabeira has been heralded as one of the top surfers of her generation, male or female--a legend in the making. But who is the ferocious personality beyond the board? Maya's memoir chronicles her journey from determined teen surfer to the indomitable champion, Guinness World Record-holder, and role model she is today. Often called the "Super Woman of surfing," Maya didn't pick up a board until age 15; before that, she was a ballet dancer. Just two years later, she left her home in Rio de Janeiro in order to chase waves around the world, toting a single backpack and waiting tables to get by. As a teen, Maya carved her own path, and her story is a remarkable one: that of a passionate and driven young woman who learned never to flinch--even in the face of death.