August 27, 2025 • 11 mins
Welcome to She Built That, the podcast series where we discover incredible women and girls who didn't just dream big...they BUILT their futures!
In this episode, you'll hear from Charli Hately, an amazing young surfer who has been carving out an incredible career on the waves at only 15 years old. She tells us how she turned her injury setbacks into an opportunity to work on her mindset. Hang ten with us to find out how Charli went from being a typical tween living on the Gold Coast to taking the global surfing community by storm.
This is a co-listening podcast for parents and kids to enjoy together.
She Built That was made in partnership with LEGO Girls.
THE END BITS:
Discover more Mamamia podcasts here.
Email us at podcast@mamamia.com.au.
Send us a voice message and one of our podcast producers will get back to you ASAP.
CREDITS:
Host: Annaliese Todd
Audio Producer and Writer: Thom Lion
Producer: Tina Matalov
Executive Producer: Courtney Ammenhauser
Mamamia acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the Land we have recorded this podcast on, the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation. We pay our respects to their Elders past and present, and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures.
Support the show: https://www.mamamia.com.au/
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:10):
You're listening to a MoMA Mia podcast.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
Mama Mia acknowledges the traditional owners of land and waters
that this podcast is recorded on Hello future Builders, and
welcome to She Built That, the podcast where we discover
incredible women who didn't just dream be they built their futures.
Every episode we hang ten with young women who stack
(00:36):
their talents, were the wipeouts and kept paddling until they
made a splash on their own terms. I'm your host,
Annalise Todd, Mama MIA's lifestyle writer and chief administrator of
the Dreaming Department.
Speaker 1 (00:49):
And before we.
Speaker 2 (00:50):
Catch the swell of today's story, can you guess which
brilliant builder is starring in this episode? Make no mistake,
this is a competitive quiz, so grown ups, get your
thinking caps onto.
Speaker 1 (01:03):
Clue number one.
Speaker 2 (01:05):
This surf star started catching waves at around age nine
on Australia's famous Gold Coast and quickly fell for the
thrill of the ocean. Clue number two. She's also a
musician and artist, and one of the bravest things she's
ever done is get on a plane all by herself
(01:26):
at age fifteen and fly to the other side of
the world for a competition.
Speaker 1 (01:33):
Clue number three.
Speaker 2 (01:34):
She's impressed surfing scouts, inspired other young athletes, and has
made serious waves in major competitions.
Speaker 1 (01:43):
Can you guess who it is? How did you go?
Speaker 2 (01:50):
If you guess Charlie Hately, you're riding the perfect wave.
Today we're talking about determined surfer and rising star Charlie Hately,
who's building her legacy one wave, one wipeout, and one
epic comeback at a time. Get ready to suit up,
because after the break we're paddling out with Charlie to
discuss how brave girls surf into their dreams. The ocean
(02:20):
is glassy before dawn, its waves rising and falling like
calm breaths. But on the sand, young Charlie Hately's pulse
races harder than the water's crash. Her toes dig into
cold sand, surfboard tucked right beneath her arm.
Speaker 1 (02:38):
The lineup looks daunting, the sky just a whisper of pink.
Speaker 2 (02:44):
This is that moment every surfer faces when both nerves
and excitement.
Speaker 1 (02:48):
Crash at once. Would she paddle out and nail her run,
or would the sea sweeper off her feet like the
first time she tried and tumbled under its fearsome power.
Imagine this a kid.
Speaker 2 (03:04):
On Australia's famous Gold Coast staring at thundering waves.
Speaker 1 (03:08):
And thinking, I just swim in this when you can ride.
Speaker 2 (03:13):
That's Charlie, aged nine, all knees and elbows and dreams.
She was watching surfers slice along the water, wanting burning
to be.
Speaker 1 (03:22):
One of them.
Speaker 2 (03:23):
She begged for lessons, convinced her parents, and somewhere out there,
Charlie's mum is still ankle deep in sand, holding her
wet suit while driving to work because, as we know,
your car will never be sand free after a trip
with your kids to the beach. Ever, from the start,
Charlie was different. While other kids built sand castles and
(03:43):
stuck to the safety of shallow waters, she built surf plants,
mapping imaginary courses through the biggest sets. Her questions next level,
What if I could do a turn? No one had
ever named? How many boards do I have to try
before I find the one? Can waves see me the.
Speaker 1 (04:02):
Way I see them?
Speaker 3 (04:03):
Hmm?
Speaker 1 (04:05):
Charlie remembers those early days.
Speaker 3 (04:07):
Yeah, I guess the first waves are really remember surfing.
Her parents would put me on a big foami and
I had to throw a life jacket The feeling you
get is it's so different to anything that I've ever
felt before. It's a mixture of like fear, it's the unknown,
but it's also this like beautiful, like I'm on something
that's creative in nature and I can do whatever I
(04:28):
want with it. Like it's this empowering kind of feeling
that you're like on the edge of being scared, but
you're also inspired, and that I can never forget it.
Speaker 1 (04:37):
But it wasn't all blue sky thinking.
Speaker 2 (04:40):
Those early sessions were rough, wipeouts, felt endless.
Speaker 1 (04:45):
There were boys in.
Speaker 2 (04:45):
The lineup who didn't make room or called her brave
instead of good.
Speaker 1 (04:50):
Sometimes she'd trudged back up.
Speaker 2 (04:51):
The beach, salty tears mixing with seawater. Still Charlie kept
coming back. That's what building looks like, getting knocked down,
getting up again, stacking courage, a top talent, paddle stroke
after paddle stroke.
Speaker 1 (05:08):
Then came the pandemic.
Speaker 2 (05:10):
The world got quiet, but for Charlie the waves were.
Speaker 1 (05:14):
Calling, with competitions on pause.
Speaker 2 (05:17):
She surved to stay sane, which is much healthier than
turning your garage into a sour dough bread factory. Hey,
don't judge, we all did some weird stuff in the pandemic. Anyway,
every morning in the cold, Charlie turned her love.
Speaker 1 (05:31):
Into a calling board.
Speaker 2 (05:33):
Shorts not uniforms, ocean not classroom. She spent hours affecting footwork,
learning how to read tides, getting stronger, even when the
only crowds were seagulls.
Speaker 3 (05:45):
During COVID, I just got soup into surfing, and I
just knew that I wanted to do it. I wouldn't
stop doing it. I just couldn't stop.
Speaker 2 (05:56):
When contests returned, Charlie came back sharper. She won heats,
placed high at state comps, and caught the attention of
surfing scouts.
Speaker 1 (06:06):
I asked Charlie how she prepares for these big events.
Speaker 3 (06:08):
Preparing for competition, There's a lot involved. It depends where
it is and what the wave bo fellaws like. But
there's a lot of discipline involved. It's a lot of
time in the water, practicing skills and certain things you
need to work on for that particular event. Eating and
food it's definitely a big part of it, like getting
enough protein, getting enough cars, making sure you're not energy deficient.
(06:32):
But it comes down to practice at the end of
the day and how much time you spend in the water.
Speaker 2 (06:37):
Still, every metal was just a milestone on her way
to bigger goals, to surf with the world's best, to
inspire other girls, to show that surfing isn't just for boys,
or just for the.
Speaker 1 (06:48):
Locals, or just the fearless.
Speaker 2 (06:51):
It's for anyone who loves the water enough to try
and try again. But as Charlie was riding high, her
love of surfing would be put to the ultimate test.
Speaker 3 (07:01):
Yeah, I actually had a major setback. I injured my
knee and I had to have surgery. I was right
on the cutline to make the Challenge Series, which is
the next step up, and I didn't qualify because I
couldn't compete in the last comp. So that was a
major set like for me. But when I had to
stay out of the water, it was huge to realize
I want to be in the water, this is what
(07:22):
I want to do, Because sometimes you can be going
through the motions but really taking a step back and
realizing I want to spend the rest of my life
doing this, and I'm going to work as hard as
I can and do everything I can to get back
to where I was. Even more just because you have
a step back the dream's still there.
Speaker 2 (07:41):
Unable to get in the water, Charlie embraced her creative
side to stay mentally fresh, writing music, singing, but also
finding expression through another handy outlet.
Speaker 3 (07:51):
I guess from a very young age, I was fielding
with lego blocks. Traditionally, like boys and men always taught
to build, and they can do that. And I think
being able to show females that they can build whatever
they want and they can create whatever's in their head,
that's pretty incredible.
Speaker 2 (08:10):
This injury setback became a blessing in disguise because Charlie
went deep in her mental game so she'd be even
better when the next competition rolled around.
Speaker 3 (08:20):
Learning about intentions for me, was very important to know
that there's a difference between the outcome and thought you
put in and just knowing that if you have the
intent to want something and to do something like that's
enough and you're on the right track.
Speaker 2 (08:38):
Today, Charlie Hately is building more than her own story.
She's paving a track through the surf for the next generation,
making it normal for girls to charge hard, celebrate wipeouts,
and dream huge. You'll see her in interviews encouraging kids
to just have a go that everyone's a builder of
their own journey, even if it starts one paddle at
(09:00):
a time. So what would Charlie say to anyone scared
to try something new, starting in the shallows or trying
to stand up after a complete wipeout?
Speaker 1 (09:09):
Uratively and literally.
Speaker 3 (09:11):
If you're wanting to create a profession or do something
the gymming of if you want it, you got to
work hard and never give up, no matter what anyone
is telling you, no matter who said this, or you're
not enough. If you believe in yourself, then you can
one hundred percent get there. And I think finding a
support group that wants you to get where you want
(09:33):
to be as well is really important. And just believing
in yourself.
Speaker 2 (09:40):
Next time you watch the waves or base something that
scares you, remember Charlie Hately. She didn't just dream about surfing.
She built her way, wipe out by wipeout until she
was able to glide, spin and carve her name into
the water itself. Building your path, whether on land or
(10:01):
at sea, takes guts, patients, and a willingness.
Speaker 1 (10:04):
To fall a lot before you fly.
Speaker 2 (10:08):
Choose something you care about and promise yourself to try it,
just once. More when it gets tough. Your challenge this week.
Head to the water, your skateboard, or even your own
backyard and try something new, no matter how many times
it takes. And the trick here. Don't have any expectations.
(10:30):
Just give yourself a pat on the back for having
the courage to try, because that's how we find out
about ourselves, whether it becomes ten seconds of discomfort or
a lifetime of carving it up. The only way to
know is to start. Great surfers and great builders are
made by showing up wave after wave. Thanks for listening
(10:52):
to She Built That. Remember, incredible girls don't just dream,
they build. She built That was written by Tom Lyon.
He also did the sound design. Our executive producer is
Courtney Ammenhauser and I'm Analyse Todd. We'll see you next
week as we fly into the.
Speaker 1 (11:09):
Stratosphere to tell a story of a woman whose journey
launched her, quite literally, out of this world.
Speaker 2 (11:16):
See then,
You're listening to a MoMA Mia podcast.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
Mama Mia acknowledges the traditional owners of land and waters
that this podcast is recorded on Hello future Builders, and
welcome to She Built That, the podcast where we discover
incredible women who didn't just dream be they built their futures.
Every episode we hang ten with young women who stack
(00:36):
their talents, were the wipeouts and kept paddling until they
made a splash on their own terms. I'm your host,
Annalise Todd, Mama MIA's lifestyle writer and chief administrator of
the Dreaming Department.
Speaker 1 (00:49):
And before we.
Speaker 2 (00:50):
Catch the swell of today's story, can you guess which
brilliant builder is starring in this episode? Make no mistake,
this is a competitive quiz, so grown ups, get your
thinking caps onto.
Speaker 1 (01:03):
Clue number one.
Speaker 2 (01:05):
This surf star started catching waves at around age nine
on Australia's famous Gold Coast and quickly fell for the
thrill of the ocean. Clue number two. She's also a
musician and artist, and one of the bravest things she's
ever done is get on a plane all by herself
(01:26):
at age fifteen and fly to the other side of
the world for a competition.
Speaker 1 (01:33):
Clue number three.
Speaker 2 (01:34):
She's impressed surfing scouts, inspired other young athletes, and has
made serious waves in major competitions.
Speaker 1 (01:43):
Can you guess who it is? How did you go?
Speaker 2 (01:50):
If you guess Charlie Hately, you're riding the perfect wave.
Today we're talking about determined surfer and rising star Charlie Hately,
who's building her legacy one wave, one wipeout, and one
epic comeback at a time. Get ready to suit up,
because after the break we're paddling out with Charlie to
discuss how brave girls surf into their dreams. The ocean
(02:20):
is glassy before dawn, its waves rising and falling like
calm breaths. But on the sand, young Charlie Hately's pulse
races harder than the water's crash. Her toes dig into
cold sand, surfboard tucked right beneath her arm.
Speaker 1 (02:38):
The lineup looks daunting, the sky just a whisper of pink.
Speaker 2 (02:44):
This is that moment every surfer faces when both nerves
and excitement.
Speaker 1 (02:48):
Crash at once. Would she paddle out and nail her run,
or would the sea sweeper off her feet like the
first time she tried and tumbled under its fearsome power.
Imagine this a kid.
Speaker 2 (03:04):
On Australia's famous Gold Coast staring at thundering waves.
Speaker 1 (03:08):
And thinking, I just swim in this when you can ride.
Speaker 2 (03:13):
That's Charlie, aged nine, all knees and elbows and dreams.
She was watching surfers slice along the water, wanting burning
to be.
Speaker 1 (03:22):
One of them.
Speaker 2 (03:23):
She begged for lessons, convinced her parents, and somewhere out there,
Charlie's mum is still ankle deep in sand, holding her
wet suit while driving to work because, as we know,
your car will never be sand free after a trip
with your kids to the beach. Ever, from the start,
Charlie was different. While other kids built sand castles and
(03:43):
stuck to the safety of shallow waters, she built surf plants,
mapping imaginary courses through the biggest sets. Her questions next level,
What if I could do a turn? No one had
ever named? How many boards do I have to try
before I find the one? Can waves see me the.
Speaker 1 (04:02):
Way I see them?
Speaker 3 (04:03):
Hmm?
Speaker 1 (04:05):
Charlie remembers those early days.
Speaker 3 (04:07):
Yeah, I guess the first waves are really remember surfing.
Her parents would put me on a big foami and
I had to throw a life jacket The feeling you
get is it's so different to anything that I've ever
felt before. It's a mixture of like fear, it's the unknown,
but it's also this like beautiful, like I'm on something
that's creative in nature and I can do whatever I
(04:28):
want with it. Like it's this empowering kind of feeling
that you're like on the edge of being scared, but
you're also inspired, and that I can never forget it.
Speaker 1 (04:37):
But it wasn't all blue sky thinking.
Speaker 2 (04:40):
Those early sessions were rough, wipeouts, felt endless.
Speaker 1 (04:45):
There were boys in.
Speaker 2 (04:45):
The lineup who didn't make room or called her brave
instead of good.
Speaker 1 (04:50):
Sometimes she'd trudged back up.
Speaker 2 (04:51):
The beach, salty tears mixing with seawater. Still Charlie kept
coming back. That's what building looks like, getting knocked down,
getting up again, stacking courage, a top talent, paddle stroke
after paddle stroke.
Speaker 1 (05:08):
Then came the pandemic.
Speaker 2 (05:10):
The world got quiet, but for Charlie the waves were.
Speaker 1 (05:14):
Calling, with competitions on pause.
Speaker 2 (05:17):
She surved to stay sane, which is much healthier than
turning your garage into a sour dough bread factory. Hey,
don't judge, we all did some weird stuff in the pandemic. Anyway,
every morning in the cold, Charlie turned her love.
Speaker 1 (05:31):
Into a calling board.
Speaker 2 (05:33):
Shorts not uniforms, ocean not classroom. She spent hours affecting footwork,
learning how to read tides, getting stronger, even when the
only crowds were seagulls.
Speaker 3 (05:45):
During COVID, I just got soup into surfing, and I
just knew that I wanted to do it. I wouldn't
stop doing it. I just couldn't stop.
Speaker 2 (05:56):
When contests returned, Charlie came back sharper. She won heats,
placed high at state comps, and caught the attention of
surfing scouts.
Speaker 1 (06:06):
I asked Charlie how she prepares for these big events.
Speaker 3 (06:08):
Preparing for competition, There's a lot involved. It depends where
it is and what the wave bo fellaws like. But
there's a lot of discipline involved. It's a lot of
time in the water, practicing skills and certain things you
need to work on for that particular event. Eating and
food it's definitely a big part of it, like getting
enough protein, getting enough cars, making sure you're not energy deficient.
(06:32):
But it comes down to practice at the end of
the day and how much time you spend in the water.
Speaker 2 (06:37):
Still, every metal was just a milestone on her way
to bigger goals, to surf with the world's best, to
inspire other girls, to show that surfing isn't just for boys,
or just for the.
Speaker 1 (06:48):
Locals, or just the fearless.
Speaker 2 (06:51):
It's for anyone who loves the water enough to try
and try again. But as Charlie was riding high, her
love of surfing would be put to the ultimate test.
Speaker 3 (07:01):
Yeah, I actually had a major setback. I injured my
knee and I had to have surgery. I was right
on the cutline to make the Challenge Series, which is
the next step up, and I didn't qualify because I
couldn't compete in the last comp. So that was a
major set like for me. But when I had to
stay out of the water, it was huge to realize
I want to be in the water, this is what
(07:22):
I want to do, Because sometimes you can be going
through the motions but really taking a step back and
realizing I want to spend the rest of my life
doing this, and I'm going to work as hard as
I can and do everything I can to get back
to where I was. Even more just because you have
a step back the dream's still there.
Speaker 2 (07:41):
Unable to get in the water, Charlie embraced her creative
side to stay mentally fresh, writing music, singing, but also
finding expression through another handy outlet.
Speaker 3 (07:51):
I guess from a very young age, I was fielding
with lego blocks. Traditionally, like boys and men always taught
to build, and they can do that. And I think
being able to show females that they can build whatever
they want and they can create whatever's in their head,
that's pretty incredible.
Speaker 2 (08:10):
This injury setback became a blessing in disguise because Charlie
went deep in her mental game so she'd be even
better when the next competition rolled around.
Speaker 3 (08:20):
Learning about intentions for me, was very important to know
that there's a difference between the outcome and thought you
put in and just knowing that if you have the
intent to want something and to do something like that's
enough and you're on the right track.
Speaker 2 (08:38):
Today, Charlie Hately is building more than her own story.
She's paving a track through the surf for the next generation,
making it normal for girls to charge hard, celebrate wipeouts,
and dream huge. You'll see her in interviews encouraging kids
to just have a go that everyone's a builder of
their own journey, even if it starts one paddle at
(09:00):
a time. So what would Charlie say to anyone scared
to try something new, starting in the shallows or trying
to stand up after a complete wipeout?
Speaker 1 (09:09):
Uratively and literally.
Speaker 3 (09:11):
If you're wanting to create a profession or do something
the gymming of if you want it, you got to
work hard and never give up, no matter what anyone
is telling you, no matter who said this, or you're
not enough. If you believe in yourself, then you can
one hundred percent get there. And I think finding a
support group that wants you to get where you want
(09:33):
to be as well is really important. And just believing
in yourself.
Speaker 2 (09:40):
Next time you watch the waves or base something that
scares you, remember Charlie Hately. She didn't just dream about surfing.
She built her way, wipe out by wipeout until she
was able to glide, spin and carve her name into
the water itself. Building your path, whether on land or
(10:01):
at sea, takes guts, patients, and a willingness.
Speaker 1 (10:04):
To fall a lot before you fly.
Speaker 2 (10:08):
Choose something you care about and promise yourself to try it,
just once. More when it gets tough. Your challenge this week.
Head to the water, your skateboard, or even your own
backyard and try something new, no matter how many times
it takes. And the trick here. Don't have any expectations.
(10:30):
Just give yourself a pat on the back for having
the courage to try, because that's how we find out
about ourselves, whether it becomes ten seconds of discomfort or
a lifetime of carving it up. The only way to
know is to start. Great surfers and great builders are
made by showing up wave after wave. Thanks for listening
(10:52):
to She Built That. Remember, incredible girls don't just dream,
they build. She built That was written by Tom Lyon.
He also did the sound design. Our executive producer is
Courtney Ammenhauser and I'm Analyse Todd. We'll see you next
week as we fly into the.
Speaker 1 (11:09):
Stratosphere to tell a story of a woman whose journey
launched her, quite literally, out of this world.
Speaker 2 (11:16):
See then,
Popular Podcasts
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!
NFL Daily with Gregg Rosenthal
Gregg Rosenthal and a rotating crew of elite NFL Media co-hosts, including Patrick Claybon, Colleen Wolfe, Steve Wyche, Nick Shook and Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic get you caught up daily on all the NFL news and analysis you need to be smarter and funnier than your friends.
The Joe Rogan Experience
The official podcast of comedian Joe Rogan.