Blake Johnston on his world record surf, and how it was inspired by his dad’s battle with mental illness

This story is part of the September 21 edition of Sunday Life. See all 13 stories .

Mental-health advocate Blake Johnston is known for holding the world record for the longest continuous surf , which he did in 2023 to raise awareness and money for charity. Here, the 43-year-old talks about how he and wife Lauren are raising their two boys, and how his father’s battle with mental illness has informed his life.

My maternal grandmother, Bessie, loved her cigarettes. She was sweet and very good to my grandfather, Ian. She adored him and that was special to see. My mum, Sandy, was pretty close to her.

My dad, Wayne, was a builder who renovated houses, so we moved around a lot. When I was a baby, we lived with my grandparents for a while in Cronulla [Sydney], where I grew up. Nan was