Layne Beachley opens up about finding her biological mother

Surfing legend Layne Beachley has opened up about finding her birth mother after being adopted out as an infant.

The candid admission came as part of a Mother’s Day Instagram tribute to Maggie Gardner who gave birth to Layne as a teenager and passed away in 2017.

The seven-time World Champion reconnected with her biological mother two decades ago, after her adoptive mother died when Layne was a child.

“I was 27 years of age when we first met,” Layne wrote, adding that at the time, she was “reticent to open my heart to embracing the mother I never knew.”

Now 46, Layne described the nature of their somewhat ‘tumultuous relationship’ which was resolved before Maggie passed away from ovarian cancer two years ago.

“I’m grateful for the time we had and I’m most grateful for the five-minute conversation we had on her death bed, where we settled our differences and expressed our love and appreciation for each other,” she wrote.

“I miss her. But the way I reconcile the lost time and opportunities is through gratitude.”

Attached to the caption was a photo of the pair which Layne said was taken two days before her birth mother ‘fell asleep and failed to wake again’.

Layne, who’s now married to INXS member Kirk Pengilly, has previously opened up about how the loss of maternal figures dominated much of her formative years.

After losing her mother Valerie when she was just six, Layne later discovered she was conceived in an alleged date rape before Maggie was forced to adopt her out.

However, it was a decision which Layne harbours no ill will towards, telling The Herald Sun she never had any resentment towards being adopted.

“It was a great decision. I am 100 per cent grateful for it, because I was adopted into a beach loving family with the surname Beachley, and became a pro surfer,” she said.

“How much better can it get?”

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