A South African surfer who survived two great white shark attacks has shared how his brush with death brought a new purpose to his life. On a warm winter morning in 2000, a then 15-year-old Shannon Ainslie paddled out to catch some waves at Nahoon Reef in East London, South Africa. It was a day like any other - until it wasn't. "Growing up by the beach, my siblings and I spent most of our time in the ocean," Shannon recalled. "My dad had to work a lot during the Easter vacation and didn't really know where to leave us. So, he bought a secondhand surfboard, dropped my brother and me at the beach with a loaf of bread and a bag of bananas, and said, 'Guys, stay here, I'll pick you up later.' 12 hours later, we were hooked on surfing." Shannon described Nahoon Reef as a surfer's paradise, where the draw of its powerful waves always outweighed its fearsome reputation for lurking sharks. "On the morning of the attack, the ocean was unusually quiet, except for some birds divebombing into the water,” Shannon reminisced. “Oddly, I remember the smell of sardines in the air. Other surfers began paddling back to shore, but I stayed in the lineup, alone and unaware of the danger closing in on me. Suddenly, bam! I got struck by a four-metre great white shark from the left. It flipped me around and dragged me underwater with it. While that was happening, another shark hit my right side but missed me because the first shark got me first. It all happened so quickly - I thought I was dreaming." Despite the ferocity of the attack, Shannon felt no pain or fear in the moment, even as the shark grabbed him, bit him, and pulled him underwater. "When I was finally able to catch a breath of air, I looked at my hand and saw my fingers hanging off, my pinkie and ring fingers barely attached by the skin," Shannon said. "There was a big bite on my hand, and blood was just rushing out." Severely injured, Shannon somehow managed to get back on his surfboard and paddle toward the shore. "I was 100 meters out at sea, with two sharks gunning after me. That's when the fear set in," he explained. "I had heard the stories: sharks going back for a second and third time to finish a surfer off. I was shaking, crying, and panicking. It was the scariest moment and the worst feeling ever, knowing that you were going to get eaten." But then, a wave appeared in a stroke of incredible luck, carrying Shannon safely to shore. Fellow surfers quickly fashioned a tourniquet from a leg rope to stop the bleeding, and his brother rushed him to the hospital. The shark attack left Shannon with a severely mangled right arm, shattered bones, and a nearly severed pinkie finger. As he lay in the hospital bed recovering from surgery, Shannon watched in disbelief as his shark attack was reported on BBC World News. For many, such a traumatic event would mark the end of any connection to the ocean. But Ainslie is not like most people. His near-death experience ignited a surfing career. "Before the attack, I was an angry, depressed kid struggling with low self-esteem, even to the point of considering suicide," Shannon confessed. "But during the attack, I prayed for safety in the water and felt that Jesus was protecting me. Later, in the hospital, I prayed again - this time asking Jesus to help me overcome my 'internal shark attacks' like anger, depression, low self-esteem, and suicidal thoughts. He did, and from that day forward, I experienced a profound sense of peace, joy, hope, and a renewed purpose in life. That was the most powerful healing I've ever experienced." Just six weeks after the attack, Shannon got back into the water. "There's a saying, 'only a surfer knows the feeling.' Surfing teaches you to overcome challenges, which builds confidence. In surfing, either the wave will break on you, and you could wipe out and get tossed around underwater, or you can master it by catching and riding it. When you do catch and ride the wave, it's incredibly rewarding and exhilarating. Plus, surfing in nature with family and friends, seeing dolphins, seals, whales, and more is just amazing!" At 19, Shannon began giving free surf lessons to kids and parents in Jeffreys Bay. "The kids started getting good, and I got busier, so I started a small business. I coached the kids two or three times a week over a period of 10 years. They grew up becoming excellent surfers, some winning international surf contests, becoming world champs, coming runner-up in the Olympics, and surfing on the WSL world surfing tour." Today, Shannon Ainslie lives in Norway, a country far removed from the shark-infested waters of South Africa. But his connection to the ocean - and sharks - remains unbroken. "Maybe it was a calculated move to somewhere less sharky," he joked. "But even in the Arctic, I haven't left the waves behind. I continue to surf and have made a career out of coaching others in the sport. Beyond coaching, I’m also deeply committed to raising awareness about shark conservation. On my Instagram and TikTok channels, I regularly talk about the critical role sharks play in our oceans. These incredible creatures are often misunderstood, but they’re truly beautiful animals that deserve our respect and protection." Featuring: Shannon Ainslie When: 15 Aug 2024 Credit: Shannon Ainslie/Cover Images **EDITORIAL USE ONLY. MATERIALS ONLY TO BE USED IN CONJUNCTION WITH EDITORIAL STORY. THE USE OF THESE MATERIALS FOR ADVERTISING, MARKETING OR ANY OTHER COMMERCIAL PURPOSE IS STRICTLY PROHIBITED. MATERIAL COPYRIGHT REMAINS WITH STATED PHOTOGRAPHER AND/OR SUPPLIER.**