Marbella’s Sarah Almagro makes surfing history again in Hawaii

Spanish para-surfer Sarah Almagro has once again made history and Marbella proud, claiming victory at the Hawaii Adaptive Surfing Championship 2026. 

A nail-biting final at Waikiki’s Queens Break

Competing at Queens Break in Waikiki, Almagro secured first place in the PS-P2 (ParaSurfing-Prone 2) category with a total score of 14.23. France’s representative led for much of the final, but Almagro found a decisive last wave worth 7.83 points, just enough to retake the lead and claim the championship for the second consecutive year. France finished in second place, followed by surfers from Australia and the United States.

The remarkable story behind the champion

If you are ever in need of inspiration, you needn’t look further than Sarah. Her journey to the top of world adaptive surfing is one of unbelievable extraordinary courage. At just 18, she was rushed to hospital with severe abdominal pains and a fever, the result of meningococcal septicaemia that caused a coma and kidney failure, ultimately forcing surgeons to amputate her hands and feet. She also required a kidney transplant from her father as a consequence of the illness. Rather than surrendering the sport she had loved since childhood, she returned to the waves, describing the sea as her best medicine and therapy. As she has said herself, “People should never throw in the towel.”

Now the current national, European, and world champion in her category, Almagro made the trip to Hawaii with her coach, Nicolas Huercano of Surf Dreisog school, and strategist Kuko Font, a trio known collectively as the “Banana Team.” Around 100 athletes from 18 countries took part, with strong representation from adaptive surfing powerhouses including Australia, the United States, Brazil, and France. Almagro was the sole Spanish competitor.

Sponsorship struggles nearly derailed her season

Getting to Hawaii was not easy. A lack of sponsors earlier in the season had already forced Almagro to withdraw from a competition in Australia. Support from organisations including Marca Marbella, Fundacion Unicaja, Vive Costa del Sol, Marvel Construccion, Grupo Casa Lola, Barcelo Hotels, and Seur made her Pacific circuit campaign possible.

Marbella Mayor pays tribute

Conditions during the championship were extremely demanding, with heats lasting a mere 25 minutes, limiting opportunities to catch scoreable waves, meaning competitors had to make every single attempt count.

Marbella’s mayor, Angeles Munoz, publicly congratulated Almagro, stating that “Sarah represents the spirit of Marbella, effort, courage, and the ability to never give up.” Few stories in sport better deserve that tribute.