Being the best female surfer in Brazil wasn't enough to secure Silvana Lima the sponsorship she needed for her surfing career.

In an image-driven market, she wasn't considered pretty enough to get full sponsorship for the first 13 years of her career.

Silvana refused to let that stop her.

In this series, six women from around the world tell the stories of how they came to excel at their sport - the obstacles, challenges, failures and triumphs along the way.