Jodie Nelson

About Jodie

• I struggle with dyslexia and was embarrassed about it when I was growing up—however, my dad is also dyslexic and very successful in his career, which helped inspire me.
• I realized that I needed to be passionate about what I was doing, but I struggled to find subjects that resonated with me—I tried so many sports and instruments in hopes of finding something that fit.
• Once I found surfing, I was completely hooked—it took over my whole life as I followed my passion and became a professional athlete.
• After high school, I made the tough decision to take a break from being a professional surfer and pursue my education.
• I eventually found my way back to pro surfing, but knew it wasn’t something I could do forever—fortunately, I had done some sideline reporting and found that storytelling was also a passion of mine.
• When my contract as a pro surfer came to an end, I was able to grow my career in other areas of the industry because of my connections within Hurley, the company I had surfed for.
• I transitioned into broadcasting, which combined my passions for both sports and storytelling—I’ve produced broadcasts for Nitro World Games, Dew Tour, Spartan Race, and more!
• After paddling from Catalina Island to Dana Point, California, to raise money for breast cancer, I started Paddle With Purpose to raise funds and awareness for causes through stand-up paddle boarding.