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Yes, They Will Surf Again




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For its second year, They Will Surf Again will bring disabled participants, adaptive water sports and the joy of surfing together.

For its second year, They Will Surf Again will bring disabled participants, adaptive water sports and the joy of surfing together.

An expected 75 disabled participants will take to surfboards, some for the first time, on Saturday, July 18, and have the time of their lives. They Will Surf Again, hosted by Life Rolls On, Braun- Ability and Wheeling Forward, will take place on the beach at Beach 67th Street from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

All are invited to attend, take part, watch and even volunteer to help.

The Wave sat down to talk to Alex Elegudin, President of Wheeling Forward, about the second annual They Will Surf Again outing.

Can you describe what the They Will Surf Again event is about for people who aren’t familiar with it?

In short, it allows people with disabilities who never surfed before or never thought they would ever be able to, now to get a chance to hit the waves. Through this they can find freedom and gain confidence beyond paralysis. Ever seen 75 wheelchair users on a beach? That’s the experience and community building that this event brings.

How and where did it start? Can you tell us about the groups who are hosting it?

Life Rolls On emerged from necessity. Junior U.S. surfer Jesse Billauer was a breath away from turning pro when a wave slammed him into a sandbar. Paralyzed instantly. As months went by, it became clear the paralysis was permanent.

Obviously, the physical had changed. But Jesse’s spirit remained indomitable. Jesse knew he needed to get back to the surf. But there was no path for this; no adaptive equipment for people with spinal cord injuries; no one to follow. So Jesse created a path. He worked with the surf community to create adaptive equipment, and went on to be the only paralyzed surfer to tackle the big waves of Fiji, and compete at the U.S. Open of Surfing. He went on to create Life Rolls On, which now hosts free events on both coasts and improves quality of life for thousands.

Wheeling Forward, founded in 2011, is a non-profit organization that helps people with disabilities experience life to the fullest and enables them to see possibility where others see insurmountable obstacles.

Wheeling Forward strives to expose the NYC disability community to all forms of adaptive sports, including waterskiing, skydiving, surfing, snow skiing, and scuba diving to show that they can defy the limits of their disabilities.

In 2014, both organizations came together to host ‘They Will Surf Again’ at Rockaway Beach.

What kinds of activities will there be on Saturday? And what is the age range of participants?

Participants with disabilities will surf and swim throughout the day at Rockaway Beach.

For many it will be their first time in the ocean since sustaining their disability. We have people registered as young as 8 years old and as old as 60 years old.

Dozens of volunteers are staged in the water and on land to assist the surfers.

Typically, have most people who come out done these kinds of activities before? About how many people do you get each year?

Most of the participants have never tried adaptive surfing before, but there are a few that have and just love doing it again and again. Last year we had over 50 participants with disabilities, mostly wheelchair users, and about 175 volunteers. This year we are expecting 70 participants and 200 volunteers.

What have participants’ reactions been? Are there any stories that stand out for you?

All participants have thrills and are full of excitement. Seeing the smiles on the kids is especially moving.

We had a gentlemen who after 10 years being paralyzed it was his first time in the ocean.

How did you get involved with this? And what would you like to see in the future for They Will Surf Again?

Life Rolls On and Wheeling Forward’s collaboration began in 2014 when we hosted the first event at Rockaway Beach.

As President of Wheeling Forward, for years I believed there were not enough opportunities for adaptive sporting for the disability community of New York City.

I saw these TWSA, They Will Surf Again, events happening all over the country, but not in New York.

So one day I reached out to Jesse from Life Rolls On…and the rest is history.

It was such a successful event that we decided to do it again this summer. We hope to continue hosting ‘They Will Surf Again’ every summer!


 

 

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