JACKSONVILLE BEACH, Fla. – Dozens of surfers who are dealing with physical limitations got the chance to hit the waves Saturday in Jacksonville Beach.
With the help of Brooks Rehabilitation’s Adaptive Sports and Recreation program, people got on a surfboard and were able to enjoy the water, which is something they cannot do often.
There were 56 surfers who were able to experience it. Some have done it before. There were others who got on a surfboard for the first time.
Ken Singleton was in his element.
“It was something I haven’t done in a long, long time,” he said.
Singleton had to put surfing on the backburner after suffering a stroke in 2015.
He is recovering but does not have movement on the left side of his body and the stroke affected his speech.
“We would not be able to come out here and do this without these people here who are helping us with everything,” Singleton said of the 220 volunteers who helped the surfers Saturday.
Kathryn Cunningham was one of the hundreds of volunteers to make the event possible. She has helped every year since the event started 15 years ago.
“The goosebumps you get when you see these participants coming in, smiling [is special],” Cunningham said, who is a physical therapist with Brooks Rehabilitation. “They are happy. This may be one of the only times they are out of their chair.”
Tristan Ballinger was at the event for the second time in a row. His parents cheered him on.
“It was fun,” Tristan said. “It feels amazing.”
“I get goosebumps and get teary-eyed,” said Tristan’s father, Mike. “It is just so awesome seeing him out there doing the things that I know he would’ve done had he not gotten injured.”
Tristan suffered a traumatic brain injury in 2016.
While he and his friends were playing with a Samurai sword in his backyard, the blade flew off and pierced Tristan in the forehead. The injury put him in a coma for six weeks and intense therapy ever since. Tristan started coming to Brooks Rehabilitation four years ago.
He spends three or four months at a time at the facility and then goes back home to Kentucky for further treatment.
Saturday’s surfing opportunity was a time to forget about those challenges for a moment.
“Getting in the sand, water in his eyes, the saltwater in his mouth was good to see,” Mike said. “You can tell the whole time he was just grinning, loving it, and laughing.”
“Smiles and cheers,” Cunningham said of what she saw throughout the day. “Just big, bright eyes and happiness.”
Those surfers proved to themselves they can do way more than what they initially thought.
If you’re interested in enrolling in a program with Brooks Adaptive Sports and Recreation, you can call: 904-345-7314.