"The worst-case scenario is it's unlikely he’ll walk again”
Hang onto the small things in life, kids, ‘cause life sure can spin on a dime.
Six days ago, Johnny Konings, a thirty-one-year-old New Zealand-born surfer who’d shifted his life to the Gold Coast to follow the perfect-waves-in-warm-water dream and was living with his cute Pilates teacher girl, belted his spine in a wipeout at D-Bah and now…now?…he’s in the spinal ward of a Brisbane hospital.
“I just didn’t make the drop on the take-off and got tumbled around, covered up, because I knew I was about to take a beating,” says Johnny. “And then, yeah, just impact straight onto the sand and came to the surface and knew straight away.”
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Johnny was airlifted to Princess Alexandra hozzy in Brisbane, where he remains, in a bed and in a chair.
“The worst-case scenario is that he may, it’s unlikely that he will walk again,” says girlfriend Charlotte. “I think that obviously they have to give us the worst-case scenario.”
The timeline on the pair’s Instagram pages is harrowing as all hell. Perfect life, two kids setting sail on a dreamy life together and, one slightly mistimed takeoff, and he’s stuck in a damn chair.
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“When life gives you lemons,” says Charlotte, “you throw in some lime, salt, a shit ton of tequila and make a bloody strong margarita.”

Ironically, he seems like a very lucky man.
Always amazed at people like this gentleman who can maintain such a great attitude in the face of such a heinously grim bag of shit that’s been foisted upon them so suddenly. Buddy goes for a quick paddle while living life in his prime to wondering if he’ll ever walk again in the span of a day— heavy. But I guess that’s life. And so rather than whinge about it and be super fuckin pissed, which he has every right to be, he takes it like a man and stays positive. Good man. Wish him the best.
Donated, good luck to them. Good attitude.
straight tequila, no dressings…and am bound too toss in a few gees. hoping your recovery is swift and your future is secured and those surrounding you will do their damnedest to get you back in the water! gods speed…
Chucked in 20 bucks. It’s not much but if we all have a bit of a go it’s something.
Big love fellow degenerates.
Xox
you’re an inspiration dogs, guess I’ll chip in too.
Excellent. There is hope for us all.
Xox
na no hope for me , but I might ante up. He’s resilient