A 16-year-old teen surfing phenom dreamt of sealing her Olympic berth at the Pan-Ams heat. Unfortunately, fate played foul, as the ISA refused to allow this sensation to compete for Canada. Even as her dream was shattered, the passionate youngster did not give up, and finally, after three long years of waiting, she is now officially a Canadian. Relinquishing no time, the Texas native arrived at the selection camp in Puerto Rico where she will have her last shot at securing the Olympics berth, which might give the US a headache. 

The competition will be a nine-day event on the reef of Margara. As many as 400 athletes will square off against each other to grab the coveted spots. She is one of the hot favorites among them to realize her Olympic dreams. 

Erin Brooks’ legal triumph as she pursues Olympic glory

The 16-year-old may have her hometown listed as Hawaii, but her roots go back to Canada. Brooks’ father possesses dual citizenship while her grandfather was a Montreal native. While the C-37 bill prohibited Canadian citizenship to foreign-born second generations, things became tougher for Brooks. Even after petitions from the Canadian Olympic Committee and Surfing Canada, Brooks’ applications were rejected. 

It was not until Canada’s Immigration Minister, Marc Miller, decided to change his mind. This happened on the back of a court statement from Ontario’s Superior Court Of Justice. The ruling pointed out that the decision to deny citizenship to the foreign-born second generation is unconstitutional. Brooks was further supported by the renowned immigration critic from the NDP, Jenny Kwan. 

Now that Brooks is out of the blocks, she sounds utterly confident going into the heats. She said, “I feel I would have had a good shot [to qualify for the Olympics]. That pushed me more to get back surfing every day… I knew I only had one more shot to make the Olympics and that is my dream.” Additionally, her inclusion in Canada’s already strong surfing team would pose a big threat to favorites like the US. However, the immigration battle is not the only hurdle young Brooks has overcome. 

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Young Brooks’ belief in God pushed her to overcome life’s struggles 

Erin Brooks always had her eyes set on surfing glory. Much like a smooth script, Brooks impressed in surfing, winning gold in the 2022 Junior Worlds and a silver in the 2023 Worlds. Unfortunately, life came crashing down on her soon after. The teenager saw her home reduced to ashes because of the wildfire in Lahaina on Maui. Such a setback propelled the family to relocate to Tofino. 

Read More: Having Qualified for the Paris Olympics, 22 YO Surfer Opens Up on Battling Dyslexia, Parental Loss, and Injuries, Says “It Takes a Lot of Courage”

Even before recovering from the trauma, Brooks was hit with another piece of news. Her mother was diagnosed with cancer. Reflecting on her healing process, the 16-year-old stated, “I just keep my faith in God because I know he has a plan for my life…I don’t want [my mom] to see me upset about her illness. She is happy, starting to feel and eat better, getting back into the gym and says I’m her ultimate motivation.”

Thus, with eyes set high, it’s now time for Erin Brooks to spread her wings and fulfill her dreams by conquering the waters of Teahupo’o months from now. 

Continue to read: Young Surfing Fans Make the Internet Smile After Overcoming Their Fans Among High Waves