Byron Bay adaptive surfing pioneer Mark ‘Mono’ Stewart was inducted into the NSW Hall of Champions by Sport NSW
He now sits on the honour board alongside names like Mark Richards, Mick Fanning and Steph Gilmore.
Long before world titles and perfect 10s, Mono was a star striker representing Northern NSW in the Tasman Cup. A severe injury, followed by a diagnosis of osteosarcoma, led to the loss of his right leg at just 15. Where most sporting careers would have ended, his story with the ocean properly began – returning home between chemotherapy blocks, getting back in the surf and eventually honing his craft at The Pass in Byron Bay.
When adaptive surfing took off on the world stage, Mono was ready. He won the inaugural ISA World Adaptive Surfing Championships in 2015, has since collected eight Australian Adaptive Surfing Championships titles and six world crowns, and in 2023 locked in a perfect 20-point heat in Japan. In 2021 he also became the world’s oldest Para Surfing champion at 59.
