The native of Cieneguita, Limón dreams of being on the CT and facing the best surfers in the world.

A girl who from a young age showed her fascination with the waves and the ocean and who, over the years, became increasingly involved in the sport of surfing, with the full support of her parents.

Mikela Castro is currently only nine years old, however, her maturity in tournaments and her competitive spirit have shown that she is destined for great things.

This season Mikela has competed in both dates of the National Surf Circuit and has done so in four categories, where she is among the top positions in each category.

In this article, her father Mike Castro and Mikela tell us a little more about her career and some of the dreams that the girl from Limón has.

Mike Castro, Mikela's father:

How have you been working with her over the years?
With her, the focus has been on instilling a love for the sport, helping her understand its purpose, how it benefits us, and how it benefits others. That's why she's been closely involved with the work of the Olas y Sonrisas Foundation, where activities strengthen her mental health, sense of belonging, and self-confidence. Then comes the technical, tactical, physical, and psychological training, which she receives at DNSURFACADEMY, an academy led and founded by Diego Naranjo. Its foundations and approach are self-regulating so that children like Mikela can fully develop their talent.
Diego is well aware of Mikela's natural talent and has been incredibly committed to creating an environment where she can grow and develop. Thanks to this, Mikela has improved in all aspects. Diego, along with the professionals at the Academy, including myself, strives for the best in every way for her and the other children. A few months ago, we decided to move to Jacó. Here, she has had the opportunity to work much more effectively, with waves that are larger, more open, and more diverse—many options for working on specific skills. Thanks to Diego, she continues to improve and develop steadily.

What do you see that's different about her that might make her stand out from other girls surfing her age?

Well, she's super passionate, she has a constant desire to compete, she likes to be the best, she likes to win and she lives it intensely, she's committed, she gets into character during competitions, she has a lot of self-confidence, so she always fights, she strives until she achieves or gets close to success, she already says that she is a professional surfer, which impresses me a lot since along those lines what we have done is take the profile of the professionals and explain to her how she should be, how she should work in and out of the water and that from now on, she is a role model.

Everything I mentioned earlier, many other girls also understand, and that's the beautiful thing about it: they push each other forward. What will make the difference is the discipline, consistency, teamwork, and sacrifices that we parents have to make so that they can achieve greater progress.

Where would you like to see Mikela someday?

Well, my favorite place to see her is in the lineup with me, I love that moment, God gave me that blessing twice over and I enjoy it a lot.

Then I'd like to see her on the CT world tour, to see her being authentic, unique, with her sporting goals clearly defined, focused on them, on her family, mental health, and sense of well-being. She really enjoys it.
The sea, nature, and good deeds—we try to surround his life with all of that. He's 9 years old now, and we still have little moments together where he plays like...
As a child, we let her enjoy it, and then she herself seeks out surfing again, dreams of doing aerials, seeing the world and living happily surfing many waves.

Mikela Castro:

What do you like most about surfing?

Sharing time with my family and friends, having fun. I love watching everyone ride the waves, and me too; it makes me happy and very confident.

Which surfers inspire you?

Stephanie Gilmore, Brisa Hennessy, Leilani McGonagle, my brother Axel Castro and I also try to find inspiration.

Why did you choose surfing and not any other sport?

First, because I love this sport so much, and second, because I love being able to spend more time with my friends and family. My father told me to give it a try, and I decided to do it, and well, here I am, and I'm going to keep going.

Where would you like to go in competitive surfing?

I want to compete in WSL events and reach the CT world tour, and then try to qualify for the Olympics. I'll strive to go as far as I can.

Written by: Enrique Hernández