Ross Kendall
Byron Bay adaptive surfing pioneer, Mark ‘Mono’ Stewart, was officially inducted into the NSW Hall of Champions on Monday, 24 November.
He now sits on the honour board alongside names like Mark Richards, Mick Fanning, Steph Gilmore, and Don Bradman.
‘Being awarded and inducted into the Sport NSW Hall of Champions as the first adaptive surfer is an incredible honour,’ Mono told The Echo.
‘Having my wife, children and friends there to share the moment made it even more meaningful, an unforgettable honour that I will carry with me forever.’
‘To be recognised in this way, and to stand alongside such highly respected and accomplished athletes, is both humbling and deeply inspiring. This honour reflects not only my journey in adaptive surfing, but the support, love, and belief of the people who have hopped beside me.’
A spokesperson for Sport NSW said, ‘Long before world titles and perfect 10s, Mono was a star striker representing Northern NSW in the Tasman Cup. A severe injury, followed by a diagnosis of osteosarcoma, led to the loss of his right leg at just 15. Where most sporting careers would have ended, his story with the ocean properly began – returning home between chemotherapy blocks, he’d get back in the surf, eventually honing his craft at The Pass in Byron Bay’.
‘When adaptive surfing took off on the world stage, Mono was ready. He won the inaugural ISA World Adaptive Surfing Championships in 2015, has since collected eight Australian Adaptive Surfing Championships titles, six world crowns, and in 2023 locked in a perfect 20-point heat in Japan. In 2021 he also became the world’s oldest adaptive surfing champion at 59.’
‘Beyond the results, Mono has been a beacon for the next wave of adaptive surfers – proving that the lineup is a great equaliser and helping build a pathway from pioneering competitors to full national teams and dedicated events.
‘Huge congrats Mark!’, says the statement.
‘I was surprised when I read the email’, reflected Mono. ‘I think there’s only six other surfers that have ever been inducted into this, people like Mark Richards, Mick Fanning and Steph, so to be on the same board as them, I’m over the moon’.
The full wrap on Mono’s induction into the NSW Hall of Champions is at https://surfingnsw.com.au.
For four decades The Echo has printed the stories some people loved, some people hated, and some pretended not to read. If you want us to keep telling the truth, the real truth, not the sugar-coated version. We’ll need your support to keep the presses rolling. 
