The missing image from Sally Fitzgibbons’ collection

There’s no shortage of Polaroid images of Sally Fitzgibbons but the one she wants most is of her as the world champion.

Sally Fitzgibbons comes off the top at Cloudbreak in Fiji.

Sally Fitzgibbons on Perpetual Loyal in the Sydney-to-Hobart. Sally Fitzgibbons in perpetual motion on a red carpet. Sally Fitzgibbons in a bikini. Sally Fitzgibbons in her running gear. Sally Fitzgibbons in a drop-dead dress on the pages of a glossy magazine. Sally Fitzgibbons on a yoga mat. Sally Fitzgibbons on a book cover. Sally Fitzgibbons hosting Wide World Of Sports. Sally Fitzgibbons in a movie. Sally Fitzgibbons in her own movie. Sally Fitzgibbons winning Bells. Sally Fitzgibbon winning another Bells.

There’s no shortage of Polaroid images of Sally Fitzgibbons in which she’s bursting with optimism and vitality. Yet the most unforgettable scene witnessed through these binoculars came on a rough day on the Great Ocean Road when there was the briefest glimpse of the hard-core heartache that has accompanied her attempt to become the surfing champion of the world.

In the dying seconds of her 2014 semi-final against Carissa Moore at the Rip Curl Pro at Bells Beach, Fitzgibbons needed a piss-weak score of 4.7 to reach the final. She milked every last drop out of that ride as if the sheer willpower involved might land her a 4.8. Even the ultra-competitive Moore disagreed with what happened next: the judges gave her a 4.2. Here’s Sally Fitzgibbons trudging up the wooden steps with her head bowed. Sally Fitzgibbons unable to look anyone in the eye for one of the first times in her life. About 15 minutes later, after she had visited the judges tent to politely ask where she went wrong, here was Sally Fitzgibbons behind the competitors tent at Bells Beach ... weeping.

She realised someone could see her. She wiped her eyes. She blinked. She blushed. She apologised when there was nothing to apologise for, she grinned and she said: “Sorry. I’ll be right. I’ll get there one day.”

That was Fitzgibbons at her most raw. Full of heart. Full of disappointment. Full of frustration. Full of resolve. Her image as some sort of modern-day Gidget is a sincere reflection of a quintessential Australian surf chick. The glow is real. The enthusiasm is palpable. But there’s qualities in Fitzgibbons that are less seen in the magazines. The willpower. The guts. The old-fashioned resilience required to walk away from devastating days like that one she had against Moore at Bells. The fortitude to keep gunning for the world No 1 ranking when she’s had eight years of filling every position in the top five — except first.

“I never register moments throughout my career as being hard,” she tells The Weekend Australian in an email exchange from California. “I know they are all valid experiences that I have to go through in order to become the world champion I dream of being. There have been defining moments along the way that have shaped me into the athlete, competitor and person I am. I feel that those three runner-up positions definitely drove me to push for a higher level of performance. I wouldn’t change anything I’ve experienced on my journey.

“Each obstacle that I have faced has been a way to better myself and grow and continue to learn. I love my sport and the hard work and rigours of it more than ever. I enjoy being out of my comfort zone at times, putting it all on the line. The harder it gets the more I feel that means I’m on the right path to achieve my goals.”

Appearances can be deceptive in women’s sport and high-school classrooms. The glamour girls are assumed to have no spine. The plain Janes are not credited for the beauty within. Assumptions can be assumed to be wrong. Fitzgibbons is as tough as a chick can be. The sixth event of this year’s world championship race, the US Open of Surfing, starts off the pier at Huntington Beach tomorrow. She’s second on the rankings again. She’s put herself in the frame again. For a feel-good story in Australian sport this year, a world title for Fitzgibbons would take some beating.

“I feel the close shaves and near misses over the years have had a compounding effect of strength,” she says. “I have weathered a few moments of ‘Oh, so close’ but instead of seeing that as disappointment, I see it as a huge achievement to have put myself in that position. A lot goes into shaping a campaign that allows you even to have a crack at world title glory. I see it as a unique opportunity that I don’t want to squander. I’m so passionate about my sport and the chance to be a competitor at it. That energises me every day to get up and go after it. I’m always seeking to learn and become a stronger more intelligent competitor. After nine years on tour I now feel nine times stronger, nine times a better surfer, nine times fitter, nine times more experienced and nine times more intelligent as a competitive surfer.”

She says: “I place value on the amazing moments I’ve had along the way and that means I don’t feel I’ve fallen short of anything. I have a world title in my sights but by no means do I see it as a finish line. I want to continually push myself to go to new heights and I want to never stop learning about my sport and my playground. The ocean being forever changing means I have an infinite amount of things to work on and experience. How cool is that.”

Here’s Sally Fitzgibbons on the cover of her book, Live Like Sally. Denim shorts. White singlet over her bikini. A bowl of fruit in her hand. Clearly, she’s been brushing her teeth twice a day. Her message is clear and good for young women. Get outside, run around, put on your cozzies, have fun, get in the water, get in the fresh air, hit the road, explore, dream big, dream often, keep the dream alive, be unique, be strong. The blurb to her book talks up the good stuff but pointedly, it sneaks in a mention of the D-word: “This is a great read on the knowledge and lessons that Sally has learned in areas like fitness, nutrition, body image, victory, defeat and adventure.”

Defeat. Fitzgibbons know it. Defeat makes you weep. Defeat makes you wonder if you’re wasting your time. Defeat makes you think you are never going to get there. Defeat makes you rue the foot you’ve cut on the rocks during your third-round heat at Bells this year. Defeat is three stitches in the foot that is taped up, wrapped up and squeezed into a rubber boot. Defeat is what you avoid until the semi-finals. Defeat is the perforated ear drum you have in a contest at Fiji two years ago. Defeat is what you avoided when you won the event anyway. Defeat can hold you down. Defeat can wear you out. Defeat is what she’s not yet ready to concede.

Back at Bells the day before the highway robbery against Moore, Fitzgibbons was gushing about the stoke of her existence. If anyone on the tour was paddling out earlier than Mick Fanning, it was likely to be her. Dawn is where the real surfers are.

“I always say I was the original dawn patrol,” Fitzgibbons told The Weekend Australian at the time. “I kind of created this little mutant breed of rookies who came along and wanted to get out there before me. So now we’re all out there in the dark. The sun isn’t up yet: you can’t even see the waves that early. The light starts tipping in and you start to see the outline of a few waves. When you’re out there then, it’s showing the hunger and the passion you have ... driving through the dark, parking the car, turning the headlights off, kind of peering through the dark to see if there’s waves, paddling out, coming in and you can’t feel your hands and feet, you’re shivering with cold. It puts life into your whole day.”

Five events remain this year. She’ll be right? She’ll get there one day? The glory and the gruesomeness of sport is this: one day may be right around the corner. One day may not exist.

“I feel all of us have those moments in our lives that challenge us to stop, to just give up. Through my career I hope in my choices and actions to keep on going through the tough moments that I’ve inspired people to do the same in all they try to achieve. I want people to feel amazing, caring for their bodies and improving their standard of living from the youth right through to your later years.

“It’s a way of life that feels insanely good. I just try to make the most of what’s in front of me. I wear my heart on my sleeve and try to compete with that fighting Aussie spirit. You get knocked down and you have to fight and work hard to get back up and keep on charging.”