Kava-baba!
Proving there’s no time like the present to take up a new hobby, Donna Holmes recently learned to surf on a trip to Fiji to celebrate her 80th birthday.
Holmes’ experience was an unforgettable moment captured on video by her granddaughter Brisa Hennessy, a Costa Rican professional surfer.
“This is 80!!!!” – wrote Hennessy in the title of the video published on Instagram. “It’s never too late to catch a wave, it’s never too late. 🙂 I share my happy place with my grandma so special. 🥲🫶🏼 .”
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In the video set to Madonna’s “Holiday,” Holmes and Hennessy start their day surfing with some prep — including working out on a yoga mat — before heading into the tropical waters.
“What are your initial thoughts?” Hennessy asked her grandmother in the clip while they were on board before the big moment.
“I’m going to die,” Holmes quipped hysterically, before adding, “No, I’m going to be fine.”
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As Hennessy takes a back seat – literally – on the board, the video showed Holmes conquering a wave as her granddaughter squealed with joy.
Later, the two met a famous Fijian pro surfer who had nothing but respect for the octogenarian’s moxie. “That was a nice wave you caught,” he said, before offering his own philosophical advice on learning to surf, regardless of age.
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Brice Hennessy/Instagram
“Well, it’s not too late,” he said. “You just have to catch a wave and have fun.”
As for Hennessy, she couldn’t contain her pride, at one point she told Holmes. “Oh my god, I’m so proud of you,” she said.
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The professional athlete reflected on a special experience during an interview with Good morning America.
Hennessy said her grandmother kept in shape with a range of healthy activities such as yoga and line dancing, and described her as a “firecracker, no-holds-barred, adventure-seeking woman with big arms and a big heart”.
“It was a perfect day, the sun was out, there was no wind and it was small and glassy,” she said. “I acted like it was spontaneous, but the real reason I wanted her to come to Fiji was to surf with me.”
She continued: “We didn’t have anything that day so I said, ‘Grandma, let’s go surfing!'”
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Source: HIS Education