Surfer Caroline Marks took off six months from pro tour. Now she's better than ever.

Olympic gold medal.

World Surf League finals title.

A chance to defend that title Friday.

When surfer Caroline Marks reflects on her success, part of the conversation includes the low point of her career.

At 19, Marks abruptly left the WSL Tour early in the 2022 season. She cited mental health and physical problems as the reason for her departure.

“Surfing is all I've ever known,’’ said Marks, now 22. “And then all of a sudden it was taken away for a second and that was obviously really scary.’’

Her absence lasted about sixth months. And as she heads into the WSL finals in San Clemente, California, as the No. 2 seed, Marks said, “Obviously that time in my life is always going to be a part of me, and I'm not ashamed of that. And I know everyone goes through things and some of my favorite athletes in the world have gone through similar things and feelings, and I don't feel ashamed of it.

“I think it was meant to happen, and in a way I'm grateful it happened because it's really shaped me and to be the person I am today and the athlete and I feel like it's made me a lot stronger.’’

Caroline Marks' return to competition

During her absence from the tour, Marks recalled, she was not alone.

“There were some athletes that came to me that I've looked up to that really were supportive and just checking in on me,’’ she said. “And that was really, really nice of them.’’

The athlete Marks said she aspired to be like was Simone Biles – and not just because of the gymnast’s astounding success.

Biles withdrew from several events at the Tokyo Games in 2021 to prioritize her mental and physical health. Three years later, she won three golds and a silver at the Paris Olympics.

Luke Egan, Marks’ coach, said he had more modest expectations when Marks called him toward the end of the 2022 season and asked for his help during her return to the tour.

During Marks' first event back, she finished third. Then she posted three consecutive fifth-place finishes, setting her up for a banner season in 2023.

“I couldn't believe it,’’ Egan told USA TODAY Sports. ”I thought we're going to be a year behind where we are.’’

Said Marks, “To kind of go from the lowest point of my life to be at the highest point in my life, is definitely was a pretty crazy feeling. But I didn't try to put too much expectation on myself. I just really wanted to get really focused on my craft and really improve in areas I needed to improve on and make sure my mind was healthy and my body was healthy. And things happened really fast.’’

At the WSL finals, "the final five'' also includes No. 1 seed Caitlin Simmers, an 18-year-old American phenom; No. 3 seed Brisa Hennessy of Costa Rica; No. 4 seed Molly Picklum of Australia; and No. 5 seed Tatiana Weston-Webb of Brazil, who won a silver medal at the Paris Olympics.

The winner will receive $200,000, while $100,000 will be awarded for second place, $75,000 for third, $60,000 for fourth and $40,000 for fifth.

The WSL finals is a single-elimination format of head-to-head heats. The No. 4 seed surfs against the No. 5 seed. The winner advances and surfs against the No. 3 seed. The winner advances and surfs against the No. 2 seed. And that winner advances and surfs against the No. 1 seed. The winner will be determined in the final round by the best-of-three heats.

Last year Marks was the No. 3 seed when she won. She said she feels good this year with the No. 2 seed.

"Number one is obvious a great position,'' she said. "You come in really fresh, but it also can be really nerve-racking if you're just sitting there watching someone build momentum all day. ... We'll see what happens."

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