Legendary Australian surfboard shaper Maurice Cole has lived a long and storied life.
He’s had run-ins with the law, faced various health issues, and credits surfing with changing his life for the better.
Currently, he’s navigating a new journey while recovering from open-heart surgery.
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Captioning the post above, Cole wrote that after years of feeling like he was “getting really old” and losing his “mojo,” doctors found “a 90% blockage” in his heart.
“So I was in deep, deep shit,” he explained. “It looks like I’ve been running for quite a few years now on a severely diminished blood flow to my heart, which has had some other health repercussions.”
Later in the post, Cole called finding out about his heart disease a “defining moment.”
So, open heart surgery and a bypass followed just weeks before his 70th birthday.
Read the lengthy caption above for Cole’s open and honest take on the surgery.
Among the supportive comments were the ones below:
Alex Gray: “Happy it all went well and you’ll be back surfing in no time!”
Garrett McNamara: “Can’t wait to meet up with you somewhere in the world again my brother”
Pyzel Surfboards: “So good to hear good news there mate! Lots of love and healing energy”
Shortly after, Cole followed up with another post:
In another candid caption, Cole wrote that he’s “feeling the love out there.”
“My last post was preop, as you can see I had a bit of fun in the hospital [and] have a really nice zipper scar,” he added.
Although he’s “still battling a couple of health issues,” he’s positive.
Cole continued:
“I am on the mend. I will be paddling in a couple of weeks And just have to have a major lifestyle readjustment, but I’m actually starting to froth. Really does feel like I have a new energy level.
“So thank you to everybody for the blessings onwards and upwards. I really have [an] amazing feeling this part of my life is going to be my most productive/creative, and spiritually rewarding.”
Heal up, Maurice. See you in the water.
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