Asian Games 2026: Surfer Camille Spaccarotella finds respect in every wave
In an unpredictable situation, many would turn to security and safety. Not Camille Spaccarotella.
An avid athlete, she swam and played football competitively, but she lost her passion for the latter after putting too much pressure on herself.
When she began surfing, it was different.
There were no guarantees, no perfect formula and no way to control what the ocean would send her way.
“I feel like life imitates surfing a lot – you never know what’s coming and I feel that unpredictability applies to life as well and you should always be prepared and be ready for whatever comes,” said the 21-year-old.
That mindset could prove to be handy when Spaccarotella competes at the Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, where she will become the first Singaporean surfer at the quadrennial event as the sport makes its debut.
Surfing has not only taught her to deal with unpredictable situations, but also lessons about respect – for the ocean, those who know its rhythms, its communities and the environment.
One experience in particular remains etched in her memory.
During a surfing trip to Kandui in the Mentawai Islands, Indonesia, with her father and younger brother in 2019, their boat passed a rare, right-hand break known as Pit Stops.
When looking towards the shore, a right-hand wave requires one to turn and ride sideways to their right to outrun the crashing water, while a left-hand wave requires the surfer to turn and ride sideways to their left.
Spaccarotella was eager to get in the water, but her father was hesitant, preferring to return to Beng-Bengs, a left-hand wave that had become their go-to spot.
After some insistence from Spaccarotella, he relented.
The waters were calm at first with waves only about four feet high, the type of conditions that Spaccarotella enjoyed.
Then, they grew to about eight feet and one swept her into the reef, slicing open the top of her left foot.
While the injury eventually healed, it left a scar and a lasting reminder.
She said philosophically: “The ocean does not measure desire or reward ambition.
“It simply is indifferent and immense, and it will still be there, unclaimed and unchanged, waiting for the day I am actually prepared to meet it and there is no shame in that patience.”
With time, she now understands her father’s reluctance that morning.
Spaccarotella said: “I have thought of that often since, how much respecting the ocean is really about respecting the people who understand it better than you do.”
Camille Spaccarotella will be Singapore’s first surfer to compete at the Asian Games as the sport makes its debut in the continent’s showpiece event.
PHOTO: BECKIE LIU
The sport has taught her about respect, not just in moments of danger.
Growing up in Singapore, where surfing opportunities are limited, she often ventures overseas to train and compete.
Indonesia is a familiar destination – it was where she first picked up the sport at 10 and where she trains frequently.
One of her favourite places is Uluwatu Beach in Bali. Once a relatively hidden destination, it has become one of the island’s best-known surf spots.
But Spaccarotella is mindful that these waves are more than just a place to surf.
She said: “Whenever I paddle out and see the locals, I always say hi and start a conversation in Bahasa to show respect.
“I’m careful not to get in their way because it is their home.”
Her time in the water has also deepened her appreciation for the environment. That comes through in actions like picking up floating pieces of plastic instead of just paddling past them.
She said: “The ocean has given me a sport, a community, a sense of who I am.
“Taking care of it feels less like a choice and more like a duty that comes with everything else it has handed me.”
Arriving at Pit Stops: In 2019, Camille Spaccarotella, her father and younger brother Julian travelled to Kandui in Indonesia’s Mentawai Islands for a surfing trip. One morning, their boat passed Pit Stops, a rare, right-hand break, which she and Julian were eager to surf. While her father was initially hesitant, he relented after her insistence.
The ocean turns fierce: The waves, initially about 1.2m high, soon rose to 2.4m.
The siblings dove beneath the water and let go of their boards, only to find that their leashes had become tangled. While Julian managed to free himself, Camille was not so fortunate.
Being dragged under: The waves dragged her underwater and drove her into a shallow reef. As she climbed back onto her board and began paddling, she felt something strange in her foot. Looking down, she realised a coral had sliced open the top of her foot, the wound deep enough to see the tissue underneath.
A lasting lesson: Her father carried her back to shore. Back on the island, another surfer, who turned out to be a doctor, used medical glue to seal the cut. It healed into a keloid scar, a lasting reminder that no one, however skilled, is invincible.