Listen: Owen Wright Gets Candid About Pipeline Brain Injury and 'Leaning Into Fear' With Sportscaster Mark Howard

Earlier this year, we reported Owen Wright's retirement from competitive surfing.

He cited a traumatic brain injury he suffered at Pipeline in 2015 as a major reason why, saying that competing in some of the "heaviest waves on the planet is no longer in the best interest of my long-term health."

Now, Wright has authored a book called, Against the Water, and just opened up on Australian podcast The Howie Games with sportscaster Mark Howard.

Howard captioned the post above:

"?? A life lesson he learnt as a child, saved his life as an adult. With his fearless spirit and unbelievable drive, Owen Wright has carved his name into surfing history, with WSL championship tour event wins and Australia's first ever Olympic medal in surfing.

"From the depths of adversity to the pinnacle of triumph, Owen's journey is a testament to his spirit to overcome, inspire, and redefine his own limits. Battling back from a life-threatening injury, this lifelong @ripcurl athlete's resilience has become a beacon of hope for athletes worldwide."

During their talk, Wright gets candid and shares "the heart-pounding tales of his conquests, the relentless pursuit of excellence, and the thrill of riding nature's biggest waves."

The concept of "leaning into fear" as a healing mechanism is discussed as well, and at one point, Wright is brought to tears discussing a recovery that was estimated to be five to 10 years.

Howard said the podcast featuring Wright is, "One of the best, most moving, powerful Howie Games episodes in history."

On it, Wright reveals that he suffered his first concussion while surfing at seven years old. But it was his notorious injury at Pipe that changed his life.

"I felt like I had the life knocked out of me," he said. "I started to lose my ability to move, speak, and see."

But Wright faced his fears and lived to share his story.

You can find details on where to hear the full podcast here.

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