Little wonder this attack has disrupted the perennially chipper Gold Coast surfer, being attacked by an idiot with an iron bar is the stuff of nightmares. Physically she recovered quick enough to compete in her new major sponsors event, The Roxy Pro, in February of 2011. But just how long it will take for her to recover mentally is another story. A traumatic experience like this doesn’t just go away.

Banging up a grab rail re-entry in her first hit out as a Quiksilver rider, Roxy Pro, Snapper Rocks, 2011.

In a recent tell all interview with ESPN in America. Steph described the incident in chilling detail. “The first time, he hit me in the head. I saw blood all over everything.” She’s quoted as saying, “I put my left wrist up to protect myself and the second hit snapped my ulna and tore ligaments in my wrist.”

Putting yourself in Steph’s shoes is an effective way to better understand how this horrifying incident could become a debilitating mental hurdle. Something she also eludes too in the ESPN interview. “At the hospital, I remember being absolutely horrified to go home. I didn't want to go home ever. Those were the first thoughts - to go from feeling so independent and comfortable to, 'Oh my god. I don't want to walk to my apartment anymore.' How do you go home? How do you face reenacting that?”

At the time of the attack Steph was soaking up her third straight triple crown win in Hawaii season and her fourth world title. It was Christmas, and a time to relax with family and friends plus ponder a possible lucrative shift from team Rip Curl to team Quiksilver – making the shock of such a senseless incident all the more acute.

History has shown that attacks on top-level women sports stars can be more than simply a disruption – they can be career ending. In 1994, for example, Shane Stant attacked US champion figure skater Nancy Kerrigan. Stant later found to be connected with Nancy’s long time rival skater Tonya Harding’s ex-husband Jeff Gillooly, clubbed Nancy’s right knee with a collapsible police baton. Footage from the ice rink in Detroit where Nancy was training post incident was played the world over showing a distressed Nancy crying “Why, why, why?” At a press conference later Nancy said, “I can’t believe someone would do this... I really wanted to skate today.” Kerrigan, like Stephanie, fought back from the injury to continue competing, at least for that year. She represented USA in the Winter Olympics late in ’94 finishing second. However that was to be her last hooray. Controversy dogged the once darling of skating as she was misrepresented by the press on numerous occasions and went on to lose millions of sponsorships dollars and never again competed on the world stage.

Another famous incident was the stabbing of Serbian born tennis star Monica Seles in 1993. Seles, who had a string of Grand Slam titles under her belt, was stabbed in the back by an obsessed tennis fan and despite recovering quickly from her wounds – did not compete for two years. She did however make a somewhat successful comeback that included another Grand Slam win at the Australian Open, but she never regained that dominate consistency.

The mark of a good surfer is their bottom turn – Steph, all class in Peurto Rico for The Search Event.

The positive for Steph and her recovery is the very nature of surfing. Surfing is a healer, and that alone will be a powerful tool in aiding her return to normal. Unfortunately however the 2011 women’s world tour is so top heavy that events have run almost back-to-back since the beginning of the year, offering little time for Steph to simply go surf... in conjunction with dealing with all this; the attack, the scheduling, a new multi-million dollar sponsorship, 2011 has seen a meteoric rise in the performance levels of surfing on the women’s ASP world tour. Hawaiians Carissa Moore and Coco Ho, Australian’s Sally Fitzgibbon's and Tyler Wright and Brazilian Silvana Lima, have (after spending years getting smashed by Steph) all lifted their individual surfing to an exciting new level. Something that Steph, I’m told through a close source, Steph is extremely stoked and proud of. And so she should be. It’s Steph’s ability to surf, “Like a man”, that has shaken the sleeping giant that is women’s surfing from it’s slumber. No longer are their events littered with snooze button heats. No longer are their dead wood competitors making up the numbers. The women’s tour is a legitimately worthy spectacle to get involved with, be it as a spectator, media outlet or sponsor.

She's brought the pain on the 2011 tour, and it's all thanks to moves like this, Carissa Moore ripping into DY Beach.

So this year we will see a new world champion crowned, either Australia’s own Sally Fitzgibbons, or Hawaiian Carissa Moore the two bolters. But will they be 100 percent satisfied they beat the best at their best? I think not. And although she’d never want to cast a shadow over another competitors good fortune, it sounds as if Steph is finally comprehending that what she’s been through has effected her greatly, both in and out of the water. “I would never blame competition losses on this, but at a point, I had to say to myself, 'It's okay to feel angry or not be happy right now. I had to stop and breathe for a second. I could be dark for a few moments.” No one deserves to go through what happened to Steph. Senseless violence is truly a blight on a human race that cripples itself with inane cruelty. Unfortunately for these top athletes who are exposed to a lot of people, the possibilities of nut bags reaching them is high. Ten-time world champion and a welcoming Quiksilver teammate to Steph, Kelly Slater, knows all to well about the risk. I asked him if he offered Steph any advice? “I spoke to her a bit.” He told me. “Really crazy situation. We get put in these situations to learn something – but that's usually a personal thing only the person can get.” And that’s where Steph is at right now. As the wise old man of the tour Slater points out, her strength will come from within, and it's this inner strength that has held her back in ’11, something she reluctantly admits, “I was more hesitant and shy in the surf. I don't think I have ever felt that way. I was struggling to come to terms with not having that complete self-confidence. It lingered for the first four events.”

Hold to your hats folks, young Sally Fitzgibbons is here! Getting air at Peurto.

For mind the fact that the women’s tour will end August is a good thing. I’d even like Steph to take time out now and focus on her mental well being, but I have a feeling she won’t – she’s too strong a person for that – certainly stronger than me. She is a champion and champions over come adversity in all forms.

Stephanie ‘Happy’ Gilmore surfs best when she’s happy and that’s the place she needs to get back to. And it’s something she seems all to well aware of, “People overcome injuries. And yeah, my injury will have a little more emotional scarring to get over, but sweet is never as sweet without some sour. So I imagine any win from here on in will feel so much more rewarding."

And I get the feeling will be right alongside her when it happens, cheering. I know I will.

NOTE: To become a fan of Tracks on Facebook and get updates etc click HERE

To see ESPN article click HERE