For Mick Fanning, the shark attack 'was just something that happened'

When unrecorded broadcasters connected nan eastbound cape of South Africa captured nan terrifying infinitesimal a shark trailed Australian surf icon Mick Fanning conscionable minutes into nan 2015 J-Bay Open Final, viewers crossed nan world gripped their couches and braced for nan worst.

But arsenic nan 10th day of nan champion activity rider's brushwood pinch decease looms, Fanning is remarkably relaxed astir his miraculous flight from harm.

"It was conscionable thing that happened," he told 9news.com.au.

"To beryllium honest, it wasn't for illustration a flick of nan move infinitesimal wherever I was gonna alteration my full life.

"I conscionable had to do activity connected myself to get myself backmost to, you know, surfing and worldly for illustration that."

After nan near-attack successful July 2015, Fanning returned to Jeffreys Bay nan pursuing twelvemonth wherever he took retired nan competition, earlier retiring from WSL title successful 2018 arsenic a three-time world champion.

Since then, nan Ballina-bred surfer has turned his attraction - and possibly his broader bequest - to charity.

In March 2022, TV cameras were again fixed connected Fanning, who again donned his signature wetsuit arsenic he traversed deadly flood waters connected his pitchy ski, carrying basal supplies and helping dozens of locals successful nan Northern Rivers to safe ground.

"I cognize that area really well," Fanning said.

The 43-year-old learned to surf successful Ballina earlier honing his skills aft moving to nan Gold Coast arsenic a teenager.

"It's a spot that I emotion and I sewage plentifulness of friends down location truthful I had a batch of friends that were affected by it all."

From there, Mick Fanning's Charity Golf Day was born.

The inaugural arena raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for nan flood recovery.

Three years on, that fig is approaching $2 million, but nan circumstances crossed nan region are devastatingly similar.

"It seems for illustration it's conscionable happening each different twelvemonth now," Fanning said.

"I conjecture connected nan crushed and successful doing each nan rescue activity and helping group get backmost connected their feet, you build relationships and ... we've conscionable recovered that a batch of group are still really struggling. 

"It's been 3 years connected now and ... group are conscionable uncovering retired that nan grants they thought they were going to get are not coming through.

"Some group are just, you know, losing that hope."

Fanning hopes immoderate of nan community's religion tin beryllium restored erstwhile a star-studded lineup of Aussie sporting legends and celebrities converge connected nan greenish astatine Coolangatta and Tweed Heads Golf Club coming for nan 4th yearly Charity Golf Day.

"We're conscionable present to fto them cognize that we're still present we're still reasoning of them and still trying to thief wherever we can," he said.

"There's immoderate unthinkable group that are each coming retired to support and yeah, we're very thankful for each their support and donating their time."

Famous faces specified arsenic Dylan Alcott, Ellyse Perry, Hamish Blake, Sally Pearson, Karl Stefanovic and Shannon Noll will beryllium swinging their drivers alongside generous supporters to raise captious costs for on-the-ground charities including Givit, Human Nature, and Hands On Hearts.

This year, $1 cardinal and a Mercedes-Benz are connected nan statement if players tin snag a hole-in-one.

"It keeps getting bigger and bigger and bigger and you cognize we effort and adhd thing caller and breathtaking each and each year," Fanning said.

"It's beautiful monolithic that we tin do things for illustration that and conscionable support making nan time bigger and amended and hopefully raise much money for those successful need, and really raise much awareness."

Fans who want a chance to triumph a year's proviso of Balter beer, aliases would for illustration to make a aid aliases acquisition merch designed by thoroughfare creator Sid Tapia, tin sojourn nan Mick Fanning Charity Golf Day website.

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