Helga, the 81-year-old windsurfer who rejects coffee parties

August 8, 2017 | Windsurfing
Helga: she's 81 and still windsurfs through life

Do you need the inspiration to leave the couch and go windsurfing? Meet Helga, the 81-year-old windsurfer with plenty of reasons to ride her gear.

"I started windsurfing at the age of 42, but only took it seriously when I was 50, explains the German veteran windsurfer.

Today, Helga is an accomplished windsurfer. She is familiar with the beach start, and she uses the harness when the wind blows stronger.

Helga windsurfs effortlessly.

She says she can't breathe without sports. Helga lives in a house with a large backyard, where she enjoys the company of his husband when it's not windy enough to sail away.

"In my car, I can slide the roof backward and look up to the sky when I wake up in the morning. These are adventures you can only experience. You can't describe them or see such things in movies," reveals Helga.

When she's out of the water for a long time, she starts feeling stressed. So, when the wind calls her, Helga knows it's time to leave the warmth of indoor life.

"During wintertime, I have appointments with a group of women. Once in a month, we play cards."

"But when we get to April, I quit. Can you imagine sitting in a living room playing cards when outside the wind is blowing? I rejected coffee parties my whole life!"

Helga has her own motto for life. "Practice gratitude and humbleness. I can't imagine a larger wealth." May she continue windsurfing through life.

  • Dutch environmental activist and windsurfer Merijn Tinga, also known as the "Plastic Soup Surfer," has made an audacious journey from Oslo to London, braving the North Sea's currents and winds, to call attention to the pervasive problem of plastic pollution.