My name is Clara and I moved to Toronto this past year from Quebec. For some unknown reason, I have been afraid of fish ever since I was a little kid. This fear has prevented me from actually swimming in the sea. I’ve been to more than 20 countries with my family and until 2014, never once had I actually swam in the ocean, which was actually the purpose of our family vacations. In the winter of 2014, my family and I went to Hawaii and visited the islands of Maui and Big Island. I had always had the dream to surf, except that I would never actually want to do it due to my ichthyophobia. When we were in Hawaii, I realized that no surfing opportunity could ever be this great and exiting. I booked a group lesson with instructors that taught us the basics of this sport and helped us catch our first waves. I can now say that it was breathtaking, stressful, but also relieving. Surfing in Hawaii has actually helped me get over my fear and gave the ocean a whole new meaning to me. I don’t see it as filled with fish or terrifying anymore, but rather as the environment which helped me fulfill my dream.