Last fall, Costa Rican pro surfer Brisa Hennessy celebrated her grandma Donna’s 80th birthday with the best gift ever (yes, we’re clearly biased) by taking her surfing for the first time.
Grandma Donna joined the octogenarian club during a family trip to Fiji where she went tandem with Brisa.
Today, Kelly Clarkson—the singer and TV personality of American Idol fame—had the tandem team as guests on her show.
Related: Clip: Hefty Sea Creature Hugs Stand-Up Surfer’s Board in Florida
Hennessy shared the post above earlier today and captioned it:
“Grandma D, the OG is still riding high on the waves! Special to share this moment with her on the @kellyclarksonshow Thank you for having us Kelly, you’re next! 😉 💖 Tune in live today!”
The clip above shows Grandma Donna practicing her pop-up before heading out to the lineup. She then gets on a board with Brisa and gets some waves.
Grandma Donna got up and killed it. We’re curious if she knew beforehand that she’s a regular footer.
Today, Clarkson spoke to the duo on her show in the clip below.
Captioning the segment above the show wrote:
“It felt like I was on a runaway freight train! On a family trip to Fiji to celebrate her 80th birthday, Donna’s granddaughter Brisa surprised her with an extra special present — her first-ever surf lesson!
“Grandma Donna and Brisa dial-in to talk about the special moment seeing her stand up and catch a wave on just her second try. Pilot Pen awards Donna and Brisa $1,000 for more surf trips!”
Introducing Brisa, Clarkson says:
“There’s lots of excitement for the upcoming games in Paris this summer, but not as exciting as this Olympian who surfs on team Costa Rica.
“She wanted her grandma to know the thrill of riding a wave before the competition, so she surprised grandma with a trip to Fiji and then with the ride of her life.”
Once Brisa and Grandma Donna appear, the Olympic surfer says:
“I call her the OG, the original grandma. She’s always up for anything. She’s just a firecracker and is always trying new things.”
Press play for the rest.
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