I was born on the 09-04, as Taiana, daughter to Mark and Joi. A bubby baby, always smiling, always laughing. I loved books, the alphabet and anything that I could learn from. I knew every name of every fish and I would tell people my full name, adress and date of birth when I would meet them.

In March of 2005, my little sister was brought into this world. For some strange reason I thought she was a pickle. We are twenty-three months apart (exactly) and I love her very much.

I started to walk at nine months old and I started surfing at 14 months. My home has always been the ocean. Mum and Dad would push me into little waves in the bay or the river and I would stand up with a big smile on my face, all the way to the beach.

One time when I was little, we had made a stop on the way to Gnaraloo. Dad and Mum were out of the car, speaking to some friends. Then nonchalantly, I stepped out of the car wearing a teletubbies tank top, paper crown and a snorkelling mask. I have the pictures to prove it. Let me just say that it was an odd day.

As a baby, I absolutely loved fruit and vegetables. I would suck on beetroot and silverbeet. I loved the combination of avocado and banana. I was basically the opposite of most children; I had no problems with fruit and vegetables.

I was very eager to start school. I loved to learn. Dad would always say that my brain was like a sponge, soaking up every little piece of information that I was told. School for me, was difficult. My Dad, at the time, was a crayfisherman; so we would travel to the Abrolhos Islands for four to six months of the year. When I was younger it was fine, but when I got into year one, it got harder, so Dad retired form crayfishing and got a job on the rig tenders. He’s really good at his job and has moved up the ranks. I was a shy kid. Smart, but shy. Then something happened and I became bubbly and bright. I would speak up. I was bullied in my younger years, and later again, but I survived.

My maltese, Bella, came into our lives in November of 2008. She was very small. Bella is absolutely crazy, but she is friendly and quirky and an amazing dog, that I love very much.

When I was nine years old, I became the youngest girl to surf Jakes Point. I managed to surf bigger and bigger waves over the years, following in my Dad and Mum’s charging footsteps. Mum was a professonal surfer and Dad charges the gnarliest waves. They still surf, very well and Dad still charges. Their lifestyle meant that they had children later on in life, which is ok. I started to spearfish with my Dad last year; I really enjoy it.

In year three I got my first A, which ended up coming in three. My grades are great and I love school, some days not so much.

This part is quite random. Blue is my absolute favourite colour. My favouite number is two, because of its mathematical properties. My favouite fruits are mangos, cherries, figs and blueberries amognst others. I love all dark leafy greens and avocados, as well as all vegetables. I don’t really have a favourite dish. I have a massive garden, with an abundance of fruit and vegetables. I love flowers and I own a cactus and several succulents that I keep in my room. My favourite subjects are; Maths, English, Science, HASS, Art and Sport. I love poetry and writing stories. I also love to draw.

My Mum is Brazilian. I am one half Brazillian, one quarter Croation, one eighth Italian, one eighth French, one sixteenth English and one sixteenth Scottish. My Mum’s father was Brazilian Indian.

I decided that I would become a vegan a month ago. It’s the healthiest, happiest and most alive I’ve ever been. I’ve recently started to meditate. It makes me calm, relaxed and awake. I’m a buddhist and I live with compassion and kindness. My new found path has lead me to being a better, more kind, more happy person and that is all I need.