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Caroline Marks Celebrates World Surf League Champion Win With Gratitude

The 21-year-old pro athlete earned her first world title on Sept. 9.

Cara O’Bleness

Caroline Marks

Caroline Marks.

Professional surfer Caroline Marks became a World Surf League champion earlier this month when she bested Carissa Moore during the WSL finals on Sept. 9. Though the 21-year-old athlete initially described the experience as “a feeling I can’t put into words,” the Florida native shared her gratitude in a humble Instagram message a few days later.

“It’s taken me a few days to process what happened the other day,” Marks wrote on Sept. 13. She then went on to congratulate Moore, an Olympic gold medalist, on her performance before sharing a heartfelt “thank you” to her family and friends.

“If you told 10 year old Caroline to write in her journal a dream scenario to win her first world title. This would be it. I feel like I’m floating on a cloud right now hahaha…,” she added. “I went through one of the hardest times of my life last year mentally and physically and there were moments where I doubted my self, not sure if I’d ever get back to a certain place of happiness so just to be standing here finding that happy place with myself & surfing feels good.”

Marks’s image carousel included tons of celebratory snapshots, including one with coach Luke Egan and another in which Marks hoisted her surfboard above her head while she stood in waist-deep water.

Next up, Marks has her eye on another major moment. In winning the WSL women’s world title, she has secured her spot in the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. The athlete first participated in the ’20 games in Tokyo.

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Cara O’Bleness
CARA O’BLENESS

Cara is a trending news writer/editor for Sports Illustrated Swimsuit. A passionate writer and editor with more than 10 years of experience in print and online media, she loves storytelling and believes that words have the power to change the world. Prior to joining the team, Cara worked as a writer and editor across a number of content verticals, including food, lifestyle, health and wellness, and small business and entrepreneurship. In her free time, Cara loves reading, spending time with her family and making her way through Michigan’s many microbreweries. She is a graduate of Michigan State University's School of Journalism.

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