Australia has offered a new lease of life for 17-year-old Jhonny Guerrero.
He said he grew up surrounded by poverty, crime and violence in Peru's capital, Lima, and even survived being wounded in a drive-by shooting.
When his friends took him to a beach for the first time at the age of 10, he knew he'd found his true calling.
Guerrero is now in Australia competing in events along the east coast.
Jhonny Guerrero (Facebook) Source: Facebook
Despite the turbulence of his childhood, a career in professional surfing is beckoning.
"My neighbourhood was dangerous," he claimed.
"There were a lot of street parties, shootings and fights."
He described an escape from serious injury in the drive-by shooting as "lucky".
"I was trying to cross the road and a car stopped suddenly and started shooting at everyone," he said.
"I started to move. If I hadn't the bullet would have hit me directly and I'd be dead.
"My maximum ambition in surfing, since I've realised my capabilities, is to be world champion."
Jhonny Guerrero riding a wave (Facebook) Source: Facebook
Guerrero proved himself a surfing natural, once he was given a decent board.
"Surfing was what I liked and every day I'd go down to practice. The first day I tried I stood up," he said.
With the help of Peruvian and Australian sponsors, he's managed to visit Australia three times - and the big surf at Maroubra beach is where he enjoys most.
With backing from NSW Surfing, he hoped to compete in events leading up to the Manly Pro in late February.
"He's an amazing surfer who we think has a future so we wanted to help him," Luke Madden from Surfing NSW said.
When it comes to surfing heroes, Guerrero said Australia's Mick Fanning was at the top of his list.
"If a shark comes I'd do the same as Mick Fanning, just punch everywhere like crazy," he said.
The South American now has the world at his feet - skills he hoped to use to lift his family out of poverty.
"My family is proud of me. They are my motivation to go on and have a better future together."
File: Mick Fanning at the Billabong Pro Tahiti. (AAP) Source: AAP
