John John Florence is on his way to the Tokyo Olympics while overcoming injury

Olympic Surfing team member John John Florence is preparing for his first Olympic experience while dealing with an injury. 

The USA Surfing team was named a year ago when the Olympics were supposed to be happening. As we all know, the global pandemic pushed the Games back a year and in that time the athletes have been working to perfect their skills. John John Florence is coming off a rough 2019, having an injury that kept him out part of the year. As the second-highest-ranked American male on the WSL tour, Florence secured his place on the Olympic team, but there was more healing to be done.

The 2020 WSL season was canceled due to the pandemic, but surfing never really stops. Florence has been active alongside friends and his family and healing from his 2019 injury. However, now with the Olympics finally getting closer, Florence has had a setback and another injury. He is on the mend and will be ready to head to Japan and represent his county. Florence spoke to FanSided about his journey to the Olympics.

“I’m feeling really good following this injury, mentally really good too because for me it’s been a really fun challenge in a way,” Florence said. “So it’s been really motivating too, you know, do all the work and just get to the Olympics and be surfing and be surfing good. So it’s been really fun. I’ve learned so much through my past injuries that I’ve got to incorporate into this one, and it’s made the healing time so much faster.”

This is the first year for surfing in the Olympics as a sport. The honor of being able to compete on the world stage and represent your country is something Florence and four other members of the team will be doing in July. The other members of Team USA are Kolohe Andino, Carissa Moore, and Caroline Marks, . Florence spoke a bit about what this opportunity means to him.

“It feels amazing,” Florence said. “I’m really excited to go with my good friend. Kolohe and Carissa, and Caroline, you know, these guys I have grown up surfing with since I was super young. So it’s exciting for all of us to be a part of it. And the little hardships I’ve had like coming up and even the ACL on the qualifying, it’s just like, it’s almost made it that much better and feel that much more important for me.”

Traveling is always an undertaking when you have as much gear as professional surfers, but now with the regulations and difficulty of the pandemic, these athletes need all the help they can get. Florence has teamed up with his sponsor, Michelob Ultra to help athletes and other people be able to afford traveling with oversized luggage. Michelob Ultra will cover baggage expenses for pro and amateur athletes who are getting back to traveling after a year of quarantine.

“The partnership has been super cool with Michelob Ultra,” Florence explained. “It’s really cool what they’re doing this summer for the Board Your Gear Campaign. It’s I think that’s such an awesome thing. Because when I was young, all the way till now when you’re traveling with boards and stuff it has been so expensive. So I love that they’re helping people to get out there and get travel again and bring their gear with them. It doesn’t have to be serving to the golf clubs, paddleboards, or bikes, whatever it is. I think it’s an awesome thing and it goes right along with my values of just getting out there and traveling and exploring and doing your thing.”

Florence and company will be looking to bring home the medals in the water against some of the best surfers in the world come July in Tokyo. A lifetime of surfing in Hawaii has prepared Florence for this task and now that he is healing, he has a great shot at the podium with the National Anthem playing.