A PIONEER OF WOMEN'S SURFING 

In the 1980s, at a time when surfing was still largely seen as a boys’ and men’s world, Yvonne became one of the early surf school pioneers on the Central Coast, and among the first women to establish a surf school in Australia.

Alongside two friends, she also helped establish Central Coast Women in the Waves, one of Australia’s early women’s board riding clubs.

In 1999, Yvonne Lovett received her first community award in recognition of her contribution to establishing and nurturing women’s surfing on the Central Coast of NSW, Australia.

None of this was planned or set out as a series of firsts. They were simply opportunities that life placed in her path — doors that opened and invited her into new experiences, friendships and challenges. Through them, she discovered connection, confidence and strength, and learned about leadership — both in her own life and in supporting others.

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a journey into women's empowerment

Years later, another door opened.

In 2007, WOW 'Wave Of Wisdom' a women’s community organisation was founded by Yvonne and two friends to promote healthy lifestyles and wellbeing for women. 

Teaching women to surf became a way of reconnecting women with themselves — discovering their inner strength, confidence, sense of adventure and the possibilities of who they could become, while connecting with one another.

As women came together to learn, laugh, play and ride waves, many began asking a bigger question:

What else might we have missed out on simply because we were women?

Perhaps it was time to make space for ourselves. Time to nurture ourselves, to put aside the endless expectations for a while, and to discover what might be possible when we gave ourselves permission to play, learn and grow.

What began through surfing gradually became something much bigger — a growing conversation about women’s lives, confidence, connection and possibility. It was also part of a wider movement towards women’s empowerment that was emerging in many places around the world.

Through this work, Yvonne Lovett and WOW ‘Wave Of Wisdom’ — became recognised for their contribution to women’s empowerment on the Central Coast of NSW.

Yet again, it was less about setting out to create a movement and more about following the opportunities that appeared along the way.

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women's empowerment - what next?   

In 2010, the WOW Multicultural Learn to Surf Day brought together women from many different nations, cultures and religious backgrounds to share the simple joy of riding waves together at Umina Beach on the Central Coast.

Surfing and play created a space where women could meet one another beyond the boundaries of culture, religion and difference.

At the heart of Yvonne’s journey is a deep belief in the value of women — their wisdom, their gifts, their experiences, their strength and their capacity to contribute.

Over the years, she has come to see leadership not simply as something to be taught or given, but as something that can grow naturally through connection, compassion, courage and lived experience.

It is also a belief in the importance of women in leadership — not necessarily leadership in the traditional sense, but leadership that grows from connection, compassion, wisdom and lived experience.

For Yvonne, this has never been about having all the answers. It has been about opening doors, creating opportunities and seeing where they might lead.

Perhaps that is what the journey has taught her most: when women are given the space and encouragement to discover their own confidence, strength, wisdom and voice, they often find they have much more to offer than they first imagined.

And perhaps that is the real journey — discovering what becomes possible when women are given the opportunity to find their own confidence, strength, wisdom and voice, and then to share those gifts with others.

The wave continues.

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