my country childhood
HE’S ONE OF Australia’s greatest surfers, a three-time world champion, but it’s easy to see after only spending a few minutes with Mick Fanning what the most important things in life are to him: family, friends and a Belgian shepherd black labrador cross called Harper. “She gets terrible separation anxiety so I have to take her with me to the beach,” he says, his face lighting up as he mentions the six-year-old dog who has been by his side during some tough times.
Born on June 13, 1981, while his parents John and Liz Fanning were living in the outer Sydney suburb of Penrith, Mick moved up and down the east coast of Australia during his childhood. From Penrith to Coffs Harbour and back to Sydney’s Campbelltown, before turning north again
