Four years ago, one of Nate's friends Mike Taylor asked Nate if he would want to help out with the Wounded Warrior surf event at Hampton beach. Nate is a veteran so he didn't think twice, he quickly said "yes" and participated in the event. He had told me that he was doing it but I had lots of excuses not to... I can't surf that well, I'm not a veteran, I don't know how to teach people how to surf, etc. etc... Then Nate did it and he came home and told me that next year I had to do it. He told me about the people he had met and that it was something that I needed to see on my own. So, the following year, when it was time for the Wounded Warriors to come into town, I told Mike that I would love to help out as well. I'm so glad that Nate convinced me to do it.
Friday was the fifth year for the Wounded Warriors Hit the Beach event and it didn't disappoint. The event is co-sponsored by the New England Disabled Sports so the participants are veterans as well as people with disabilities.
Before I ever volunteered with the Wounded Warriors Hit the Beach events, Nate and I used to talk about what would happen if either one us became paralyzed. I mean, we do some pretty crazy things, it wouldn't be that far off base. Before these events, I always would say, "Nate just take me out back because I'm never going to be happy if I can't walk." And after these events, "Nate, please sign me up with the New England Disabled Sports programs." Not only are there surf events like the ones that we volunteer at but there are also skiing events in the winter where they race down hill skiing, they mountain bike in the summer, they are doing time trials up the Kancamagus Highway on their road bikes. They are doing some pretty incredible things that many able bodied people couldn't/wouldn't do if given the chance. I have such an appreciation for these athletes now and see such a brooder world that is out there.
Here are a few of them and some of the stories that I know.
I didn't get a picture of him, but I got to spend a lot of time with a gentlemen named Brent. He has been to events in the past years and I got to help him surf this year. He is paralyzed from the waist down, but it didn't stop him from being a wave snob and wanted to be able to ride the wave the best way he could. He would ask me to adjust his legs so that he was positioned exactly in the middle of the board. He would then paddle as hard as he could to catch the wave and by the last few waves, I wasn't able to reach the board when I would try to give it an extra shove to get him into the wave. He would then lean into the wave so that he could ride it longer and he was turning around kids that were playing in the water. It was so awesome to see his stoked-ness on the waves and to be a part of it. It was the first time that I was able to help people surf instead of just catch them or their boards and it was so awesome to see him smile after each ride!! Here is a picture that Dick Arnold took of Brent concentrating on making it the best ride.
This is Chris. Chris is a quadriplegic. Chris was hanging out with friends on a boat and dove off a boat right into a sandbar and broke his neck. Before the accident, Chris surfed a lot and at the event, told the volunteers that he didn't care what it took, he wanted to have that feeling of surfing again. As you can see in the picture, there were about 8 guys making sure that the board was stable with one guy in the back making sure that the board did not tip in any way. Then there were about 40 of us lining the way so that if the board did tip, that he would be back on the board as quickly as possible. To see the smile on his face while he was on the board was extremely moving.
This is another Chris. I'm not sure about her accident, but she is a paraplegic. She has come every year and has formed a bond with Nate. Three years ago, we were supposed to be taking a break and she asked Nate if he would paddle with her. Next thing you know, they are about two miles down the beach and continuing to paddle away. When Nate got back to the beach, he looked at me and was like, 'Wow! She can paddle!!' For the first time ever, Nate had to tell someone, "Look, I'm tired, can we please go back?".
The surfer closest is Geoff. He works with the New England Disabled Sports. I would say, he runs the show or comes up with new things that he wants to do and gets people to make something to help him do what he wants to do. He has been there every year that I have been there and each year, he tells me about some new adventure he has been on. He has done Tuckerman's, he started the group time trialing on the Kancamangus, he told me about downhill mountain biking on Loon mountain: the bike they use, they have to lay fast first and ride it down the mountain. I looked at him and said, "No way, are you getting me riding fast first down a mountain." But hey, you gotta do what you gotta do and this guy is the man!!
This is Peter. I'm not sure Peter's story either. He has nerve damage and has trouble using one arm and his legs. I got to sit with him a bit and he's a really funny guy. He was out in the waves as much as he could be. I believe he was one of the surfers that had to be dragged out of the water at 4:00pm because the tents were down, the water was almost gone and his bus was about to leave. Again, huge smile on his face the whole time he was in the water... and he told me that he loved my hair!! :)
To hear about more of the stories, check out the local news stories: WMUR News Recap, Seacoast Online
