Where does one go after drowning in seawater? If they don’t die, of course, which they usually do. For those lucky enough to be revived, chances are they wouldn’t be amping to return to the ocean for quite some time, if ever again.

Maya Gabeira, who nearly died at Praia do Norte in Nazaré, Portugal, in 2013 — losing consciousness following a terrifying wipeout and subsequent rescue by ski driver and tow partner, Carlos Burle, kind of went the other way. She got right back in the water once she recovered, back out at Nazaré, and straight to the top.

Five years after surviving what should’ve been a bold, final punctuation to her career, the 31-year-old big-wave surfer has won the inaugural Women’s XXL Biggest Wave Award, while setting a new Guinness World Record for the “largest wave surfed unlimited (female).” The wave, a tow-in (which we gather is where the “unlimited” come from) at Nazaré on January 18th, 2018, was determined to be 68 feet (20.72 meters) from trough to crest, as the Brazilian was honored at a special ceremony at the iconic lighthouse that overlooks the lineup at Praia do Norte, where an official Guinness World Records adjudicator presented Gabeira with a certificate declaring her as the current record holder.

“It’s been quite a journey, but I can honestly say that in 2013, when I first came to Nazaré, my life changed like never before,” she said. “Of course, there was an accident, injuries and so on, but also I moved to Nazaré to be closer to the wave. I dedicated most of my time to the spot and I had years to focus on improving, on safety and on being around the best people to get where I wanted to be. That time was priceless, it taught me a lot, and slowly I got back to my feet, back to surfing at 100%, and in a spot that I honestly consider the biggest and most challenging wave I’ve ever surfed.”

Maya’s competition included two-time Big Wave Tour Champion Paige Alms, Justine Dupont, Keala Kennelly, Andrea Moller and Bethany Hamilton, and the ceremony signaled the start of the winter big-wave season. The upcoming 2019 Big Wave Awards will be held in April, and will feature two new categories: Women’s XXL Biggest Wave Award (PWC-assistance permitted) and the Women’s Biggest Paddle Award (no assistance).

“To set the world record has been a dream of mine for many years,” Gabeira finished. “But of course, after the accident in 2013, it felt like a very distant dream. It took a lot of work to have a season like last year, to be 100% again, and to complete it with a Guinness World Records title is quite special.”