From Co-Founder Liam,

My journey with surfing began when I was a kid, but it really began the day my mum, Helen, had enough of me wasting my life glued to an x-box. I was addicted to that thing, on it every single day for three years before she flipped. One day, when I ignored her for the millionth time to turn it off, she grabbed the x-box and in one swift movement launched it out the window. There was no getting it back. Enough was enough. I started getting bored without it, so I picked my surfboard up again, took myself down to the beach and paddled out. From that moment on, I was hooked. That one action from mum is the reason why I got back into surfing and ended up getting a job as a surf coach. If that x-box was still in my life, I bet Lotus wouldn’t be. I owe it all to mum, she changed my life.

Growing up in the Gold Coast meant I was often running late to school because I always needed to get in “one last wave.” I would jump out of bed every morning and spend the next couple of hours catching wave after wave with the grown-ups, homing in on my skills and growing my respect for the ocean and the people I was sharing it with. Mum would often stand on the shore yelling at me to come in, but it’s not so easy to listen when you don’t know if your next wave will be the best one yet.

With my entire life revolving around surfing, it came as no surprise that I started teaching others to surf at just 12 years old. I started seeing firsthand the pure stoke and happiness that catching one good wave can bring someone and I knew then that I wanted to be the person to help people experience this feeling. This is where the dream to start Lotus began. At such a young age, I dreamt of having my own surf camp where my friends would come and coach. It would be a place where we would all hang out and share the best job in the world. That was the dream that fuelled the fire which is now Lotus.

Mum was first introduced to Sri Lanka in 2006, when I was seven years old. She was working as a massage therapist and yoga teacher in an Ayuverdic retreat, while I was running around with the kids of the village. Over time, Mum’s love for the country grew and it became clear to her that this is exactly where she is meant to be. Sri Lanka has a magical way of pulling you in like that so don’t be surprised if you come over and never want to leave. Mum made the official move here in 2016 after taking a job at a life style retreat, tucked away in the mountains in Kandy. It was the first of its kind in Sri Lanka. I then came over to join mum in 2017 and will forever be glad that I did.

With mum by my side, I quickly became part of both the local and expat community. I’ve since worked for the top two surf companies here which gave me a unique understanding of how operations and systems work in Sri Lanka. Mum also has a wealth of experience in building and running boutique hotel guesthouses in Sri Lanka and working in countries around the world in both hospitality and health and wellness. So together, we make the perfect team. With these experiences, both in and out of the water, we were able to grow our vision for Lotus Surf & Wellness.

Life is funny isn’t it. I never thought in a million years that I would be running a surf camp with my mum, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. Mum has worked for four of the biggest health retreats in Australia as a chef and massage therapist. She has a strong passion for serving real, organic meals created from whole foods. I promise that you have never tasted anything with as much flavour and love as the food coming from her kitchen. Not only that, but mum has spent over thirty years in the health and wellness industry, honing her skills in massage, hands on healing therapy, yoga, meditation and wellness practices.

It doesn’t stop there either. Mum has also run a successful yoga adventure tour business for over a decade. But most of all, she is an incredible mother. Not just to me, but to everyone who walks through the doors of Lotus. There’s a reason why I’ve only mentioned her name once in this because you’ll soon know her as ‘mum’ too. Mum welcomes everyone with open arms and will meet you exactly where you are at. You might walk into Lotus feeling a bit lost, confused or nervous, but I promise that you’ll leave feeling loved, understood and appreciated because of her.

Lotus may have started off as a dream I had when I was 12, but now it is our reality. It’s a place born from passion –our passion for surfing and wellness. It’s a combination of everything we need to find calm in a world of chaos. And although you might not know it yet, Lotus is your home, we are your Lotus family, and we cannot wait to see you here soon.