Dancing with the waves
As much as one would question the possibility of surfing after encountering a spinal cord injury, it is doable. Very very doable. We had the pleasure of attending Life Rolls On's surfing event at Wildwood Beach, NJ and it was a blast! With over 400 dedicated volunteers, around 50 people with disabilities, a DJ playing live music and excellent organization, it was undoubtedly one of the best event we've attended so far.
First of all, a big shout out to Magee Rehabilitation Center for providing us the transport to get there. The registration for the event is simple and easy, and FREE. Once you're done with the registration, everyone gets a chance to meet and take a picture with Jesse Billauer, the Founder of Life Rolls On. We were then taken to the beach - the beach has a wooden ramp, which accommodates all kinds of wheelchairs/scooters. We do recommend taking your manual chair with you for easier mobility on the sand but if you use a power chair, transferring into a beach chair (available for renting at most of the beaches) would definitely work.
It's highly recommended to use sun blocks, shades and umbrellas to avoid direct contact with the sun, as it may give you sun burns. Staying hydrated at all times is extremely important as well. At the event, we stayed under a tent that LRO termed as "Chill Zone". We did go out in the sun once in a while to feel the warmth and some of us even transferred on the sand. For this purpose, beach towels work best.
On our turn, we were helped by several volunteers to put the wet suit on. Wasn't a hassle at all as the volunteers were well experienced. We were then taken to the water where volunteers lifted us from the beach chair and helped us lay down on the surf board. The surf board has no straps, which concerned us a little bit with regards to spasticity. With so many volunteers around us in water, that fear was quickly eliminated. The board does have hand handles, which worked great for some of us who had some hand function - for those of us who didn't, we just kept our hands tucked in.
Once in the water, everything seemed magical. There's always a surfer behind you and many volunteers to steer you in the right direction. The volunteers even let some of us float in the water for a little while, which refreshed our swimming memory.
Overall, it was a great experience! This experience is one of the things that assures you nothing is ever impossible and that a spinal cord injury can't stop you from enjoying your life.
About Life Rolls On
Life Rolls On is a non-profit organization dedicated to improving the quality of life for young people affected by spinal cord injury and utilizes action sports as a platform to demonstrate the infinite possibilities beyond paralysis.
About Magee Rehabilitation
The mission of Magee Rehabilitation is to improve the quality of life of persons with disabilities by providing high quality physical and cognitive rehabilitation services.
