Gold medalist Caroline Marks surfed and scored during the 2024 Olympics.
After winning the top prize in women’s surfing this summer, the Roxy athlete was able to celebrate with members of the Team USA men’s basketball team.
“I ended up at some club with the whole NBA team, which was pretty crazy,” Marks, 22, exclusively tells Us Weekly, while marking her eight-year partnership with Roxy. “Steph Curry was there. I met Devin Booker. I saw LeBron James and a few others. Basically, the entire team was there, and they were fresh off winning their gold medal. It was like the same exact night. It was really cool to meet all of them.”
After Marks came close to winning a medal with a fourth-place finish at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, she was able to accomplish her dreams by securing gold in women’s surfing at the Paris Olympics in July.
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As for Curry and the basketball team, they defeated France and took home gold.
“Everyone was very nice,” Marks recalls of the surprise encounter. “Everyone I met was very kind. … A couple of them were like, ‘Oh, where’s your gold medal?’ because I wasn’t wearing it that night. So I was like, ‘Oh, they must have known maybe I won the gold medal in surfing,’ which was cool.”
Although the surfing competition took place in Tahiti, Marks was able to participate in the Olympics Closing Ceremony in Paris. While there, she met more athletes, like rugby player Ilona Maher and artistic swimmer Anita Alvarez.
“Everyone’s the best at what they do and at their peak form and peak fitness,” Marks says. “Just to be around that energy in that environment was so special and something I’ll never forget. It was just an incredible experience.”
While Marks has big dreams of winning another gold medal in the 2028 Olympics when they are held in Los Angeles, the Southern California resident also hopes to inspire young kids to explore the beauty of surfing.
Before her athletic dreams came true, Marks was inspired by women like Stephanie Gilmore, Carissa Moore, Lisa Andersen and Layne Beachley. As she continues training for future competitions, the 2023 World Surfing champion wants kids to know they can be in her spot one day too.
“I really want to pave the way for the next generation and just show them that there is such a positive future ahead of them,” she explains. “I feel like women’s surfing is really moving in such an amazing direction. To have support from brands like Roxy is huge, and they’re really big on female empowerment, which is amazing. You really feel that support, and that goes a long way.”
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As the summer comes to an end, Marks hopes swimmers will still jump in the water and experience what she describes as her “happy place.”
Fans can even dress like Marks thanks to Roxy’s The Pro Surf Collection, which features iconic tropical prints with the highest level of performance.
“The material is made of really soft and stretchy material, which is really nice because obviously we’re paddling and your paddle into the wave is so important,” Marks tells Us. “Roxy makes the best wetsuits. They’re great.”
