© 2026 ABC News

On Monday, Gabeira was awarded the Guinness World Record for the largest wave surfed by a woman.

Gabeira's history-making ride is especially incredible after the surfer suffered a serious injury in 2013 while surfing at the same spot where she went on to break a world record.

\"PHOTO:
Francisco Leong/AFP/Getty Images
PHOTO: Brazilian big wave surfer Maya Gabeira prepares for a surf session at Praia do Norte in Nazare, Portugal, Nov. 11, 2016.
>

\"To set the world record has been a dream of mine for many years,\" Gabeira said in a statement released by the WSL. \"But of course, after the accident in Nazare 2013, it felt like a very distant dream.\"

\"It's been quite a journey,\" Gabeira added, reflecting on how her \"life changed like never before\" after she first came to Nazare.

\"PHOTO:
Mark Thompson/Getty Images
PHOTO: Surfer Maya Gabeira is seen in the Infiniti Red Bull Racing garage during practice for the Malaysia Formula One Grand Prix at the Sepang Circuit on March 28, 2014 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
>

Instead of running away from the surfing spot where she was injured five years ago, \"I dedicated most of my time to the spot and I had years to focus on improving, on safety and on being around the best people to get where I wanted to be,\" Gabeira said.

\"That time was priceless,\" she added. \"It taught me a lot and slowly I got back to my feet.\"

On October 1, 2018 @MayaGabeira made history as the first Women's XXL Biggest Wave World Record holder in Nazaré, Portugal. #CatchThisWave @GWR pic.twitter.com/F0gMRPDHpP

— World Surf League (@wsl) October 2, 2018

Sophie Goldschmidt, the WSL CEO said in a statement that Gabeira \"exemplifies the courage, commitment, and progression of female athletes around the world,\" adding that they were so proud to celebrate her Guinness World Record achievement.

\"PHOTO:
Francisco Leong/AFP/Getty Images
PHOTO: Brazilian big wave surfer Maya Gabeira rides a wave during a surf session off Praia do Norte in Nazare, Portugal, Jan. 18, 2018.
>","canonicalUrl":"https://abcnews.com/GMA/Culture/surfer-rides-mesmerizing-68-foot-wave-sets-world/story?id=58263946","legacySlug":"/culture/story/surfer-rides-mesmerizing-68-foot-wave-sets-world-58263946","noIndexNoFollow":false},"publishTime":"19:48","publishDate":"10-03-2018","updatedTime":"13:10","updatedDate":"10-04-2018","socialImage":{"alt":"Brazilian big wave surfer Maya Gabeira rides a wave during a surf session off Praia do Norte in Nazare, Portugal, Jan. 18, 2018.","credit":"Francisco Leong/AFP/Getty Images","ratio":"16x9","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/maya-gabeira-1-gty-jt-181003_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg","width":992,"height":558},"datePublished":"10/3/2018 19:48:00 GMT","video":{"live":false,"id":58263946,"headline":"Surfer lands record-breaking 68-foot wave","mediaAssetTitle":"THORBECKE_SURFER_RECORD_181003","description":"Mesmerizing video of her flying through the wave was captured on video. ","duration":"0:50","posterImg":{"url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/default-img-undefined.png","width":608,"height":342},"video":{"feed":"https://service-pkgabcnews.akamaized.net/opp/hls/abcnews/2018/10/181003_gma_digital_surfer_,500,800,1200,1800,2500,3200,4500,.mp4.csmil/playlist.m3u8"},"playlist":["58096200","57829144","58266859"]},"relatedItems":[{"contentType":"story","date":"September 30, 2018","headline":"My Wellness Routine: 5 things celebrity trainer Simone De La Rue does every day","section":"wellness","slug":"/wellness/story/wellness-routine-steps-celeb-trainer-simone-de-la-58096200","id":58096200,"image":{"alt":"My Wellness Routine: 5 things celebrity trainer Simone De La Rue does every day","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/PhotoIllustration_16x9_MMR_SIMONE_KS_hpMain_4x3t_240.jpg","credit":"ABC News Illustration","ratio":"1x1"}},{"contentType":"story","date":"September 24, 2018","headline":"My Morning Routine: Jessamyn Stanley breaks yoga stereotypes before breakfast","section":"wellness","slug":"/wellness/story/morning-routine-jessamyn-stanley-breaks-yoga-stereotypes-breakfast-57829144","id":57829144,"image":{"alt":"My Morning Routine: Jessamyn Stanley breaks yoga stereotypes before breakfast","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/PhotoIllustration_16x9_MMR_JESSAMYN_KS_hpMain_4x3t_240.jpg","credit":"ABC News Photo Illustration","ratio":"1x1"}},{"contentType":"video","date":"October 3, 2018","headline":"Female surfer lands record-breaking 68-foot wave","section":"culture","slug":"/video/58266859","id":58266859,"image":{"alt":"Female surfer lands record-breaking 68-foot wave","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/181003_gma_digital_surf_hpMain_1x1_240.jpg","credit":"ABCNews.com","ratio":"1x1"}}],"relatedContentSection":"news","schemaContent":{"name":"Surfer lands record-breaking 68-foot wave","description":"Mesmerizing video of her flying through the wave was captured on video. ","duration":"0:50","uploadDate":"10-03-2018","publication":"10-03-2018","images":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/default-img-undefined.png","url":"https://service-pkgabcnews.akamaized.net/opp/hls/abcnews/2018/10/181003_gma_digital_surfer_,500,800,1200,1800,2500,3200,4500,.mp4.csmil/playlist.m3u8","contentUrl":"https://service-pkgabcnews.akamaized.net/opp/hls/abcnews/2018/10/181003_gma_digital_surfer_,500,800,1200,1800,2500,3200,4500,.mp4.csmil/playlist.m3u8","link":"https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/culture/story/surfer-rides-mesmerizing-68-foot-wave-sets-world-58263946"}},"playlist":[{"id":"134041491","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"134033809","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"78356537","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"133929295","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"133958398","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"133882828","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"133810954","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"133779647","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"133810835","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"133749799","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"133777519","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"133748258","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"133730535","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"133712423","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"133694181","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"133688738","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"133616358","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"133616342","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"133522899","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"133584123","contentType":"story","section":"news"}],"kvps":{"pgtyp":"article","lang":"en","sp":"goodmorningamerica","programmatic":"true","bundleId":"com.abcnews"}},"analytics":{"accountID":"wdgnewwdgnewgmaweb","ns":"gma","pageName":"gma:culture:video","pageType":"video","globalSpecVersion":"v1.08","siteDifferentiator":"gma:site","tagID":"g_page01","userABCookie":"0","section":"culture","title":"Surfer lands record-breaking 68-foot wave","pubTime":"15:48","pubDate":"10-03-2018","modTime":"09:10","modDate":"10-04-2018","taxonomyTags":"none","id":58263946,"editorialOtherSubjects":"","wordCount":"none","columns":"none","authors":"","authorsUnit":"none","authorsBureau":"none","subBrand":"Good Morning America","provider":"Good Morning America","videoName":"Surfer lands record-breaking 68-foot wave","mediaAssetTitle":"THORBECKE_SURFER_RECORD_181003","videoId":58263946,"mediaOnPage":"video","legacySlug":"/culture/story/surfer-rides-mesmerizing-68-foot-wave-sets-world-58263946"},"taboola":{}},"request":{"headers":{},"httpVersion":"1.1","method":"GET","url":"/video/58263946","vary":{"host":"www.goodmorningamerica.com","cached":true,"path":"/video/58263946","forwarded-proto":"https","device":"desktop","userab":"0"}},"viewport":{"width":1260,"height":0},"user":{}};