Marcelo Luna is a professional big-wave surfer, speaker, author and entrepreneur from São Bernardo do Campo, and one of the most recognised Brazilian chargers at Nazaré.

He was nominated by the World Surf League for the Big Wave Awards, the most prestigious honour in big-wave surfing, three years running, in 2017, 2018 and 2019, in the Biggest Wave and Best Performance categories. In Nazaré, his board and a plaque honour him at the Surfer Wall, alongside giants of the sport like Maya Gabeira and Garrett McNamara. One of his rides there, 38.2 seconds on a wave of around 23 metres, has been submitted to Guinness World Records as the longest giant wave ever surfed.

Off the water, Marcelo created Meu Mundo, Meu Sonho (My World, My Dream), a social project that takes him into schools, educational institutions and NGOs to talk with children and young people facing addiction or disciplinary problems. It has worked with the Instituto Ayrton Senna and the Liceu Francês. When floods hit São Paulo, he took his jet ski into the streets and rescued 58 people.

He has partnered with Senna and Nike, and tells his story in his book Uma Onda Gigante and from stages across Brazil to a community of more than 200,000 followers.

“The titles, they will pass. But what really remains is what we do for society.”