Introducing ASI Surfing Instructor, Sally McGee

UK. ENGLAND. YORKSHIRE. Introducing ASI Surfing Instructor Sally McGee, Sally has been surfing for fourteen years, starting out on the Yorkshire coast, UK before moving to the North East in 2012. She continues to travel and surf in iconic spots around the world but home in the North East is where her heart is and where she runs her ASI accredited school, Yonder Women’s Surf School. 

1.  What is your background?

I've been instructing now since 2015 and running my own school Yonder since 2017. Before instructing I was a mentor working with young people in a local school and before that I ran destitution projects across Yorkshire with the British Red Cross. In 2016 I left my job in the school and both my husband and I travelled 16000 miles on Honda XR150's with surfboards attached, travelling from Chile up to San Francisco, seeking out perfect surf and camping on route, following the dream to surf every day, or at least as many days as possible. Surfing has always been a great way for me to take my mind away from the day to day, it's integral to everything I do but was especially so after a tough day working in a stressful role. I've surfed on the East Coast and North East for nearly fourteen years now, exploring our coastline and getting to know and love how it works.  
 
2.  What got you involved in the sport?

 I've always been active and loved being in water. Surfing to me just made sense. In the UK we live on an island that is susceptible to rain and when you're in the sea it doesn't matter if it's raining, either way, you're still going to get wet. Surfing meant I was outside no matter what and that is important to me. Living so close to the sea means that you develop a relationship with it and surfing introduces you to places you might never visit otherwise and puts you in situations you would never experience otherwise. I couldn't count the amazing sunrises and sunsets I've seen or explain the thrill of being in the water with huge grey seals staring at you or dolphins surrounding you. I love the fact that you are always trying to progress, improve and you can never 'complete' surfing. The fact that it is so dependent on nature means that each experience spent in the water is totally different. 
 
3.  Why did you become an ASI instructor?

 My good friend and mentor Steve Hudson was an ASI Instructor and I respected him very much as a surfer. He was kind enough to hire me at his school and support me through my training so it meant a lot to me that I received the same qualification. Sadly, Steve has since passed but he was definitely an inspiration to me. I wanted my school to be certified through ASI as I know that they have high standards and are able to support me properly with the important aspects of running a successful surf school. 
 
4.   What are you doing now?

I started Yonder Womens Surf School in 2017. Yonder is an ASI accredited all women's surf school in the North East of England. Yonder was set up to help increase the number of women getting into surfing and more importantly sticking it out. At Yonder we want to make women independent surfers, teaching them a wide range of skills to make them both ocean confident and full of surf stoke at the same time! It's been really important for many of the women taking lessons that they are surrounded by positive vibes and other women encouraging them and on a personal level and am so excited to see this little community grow. 

We run surf lessons when the surf is right, I check the charts constantly and inform girls that have signed up to my alerts about to lessons, camps and social events when I'm running them. 

I also run surf camps with my Husband Tom where we teach women to become more independent surfers with surf forecasting sessions and photo feedback. We have sold out camps in Devon and Tynemouth, Scarborough, Wales and Morocco with new dates for Autumn 2020 coming soon. 

5.   What do you like about being an ASI instructor?

I respect ASI as an authority when it comes to surf instructor qualifications. There is a certain degree or competency that is expected through ASI and I feel proud to have qualified through their program. I have had a great deal of support from ASI trainer Phil Sadler at Pembrokeshire Surf School, it's been great having someone that I can talk to, that I respect and that is helpful. Phil goes out of his way to support myself and Yonder. It is important for me that I feel that I can talk to the UK office as we often feel far away from the typical surf associated world here in the North East, ASI have always responded quickly to any queries and have helped me massively when setting up the school. 
 
6.   Tell us about funny or interesting or nice situation that has happened to you with instructing?

Running Yonder has meant that I have developed a fantastic relationship with so many of my students. The women I teach come back time and time again as they want to progress in their surfing journey. For many of them it is about building water confidence for some it is about building that confidence in bigger surf and for others it's about getting in the sea for the very first time. On the most basic level, we all just have a lot of fun, cheering each other on and feeling inspired when each of us achieves a personal goal. 

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About ASI
ASI is a professional membership organisation and international governing body for instructors, coaches and schools in the outdoor recreation industry for surfing, stand up paddle and bodyboarding.
We set the standards for education, accreditation, professional development and ongoing support for our members, offering pathways from entry level to elite level.
International Instructor and Coach Accreditation. You can travel the world with ASI.
ASI Accredited Schools abide by the high international standards for operations, training and safety.
www.academyofsurfing.com

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