Surf’s up!
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Isabella Twomey from Banteer gets a helping hand from instructor Sarah Mallen at the Surf2Heal summer camp which took place at Garrettstown Beach. Photos: Brian LougheedImage 2 of 5
Cullen O’Sullivan from Carrigaline staying up on his surfboard much to the delight of his instructor.Image 3 of 5
John Denis Creedon shows his delight as he stands up on his board for the first time with the help of Tessa Kingston, Nicola O’Sullivan, Aoife O’Reilly and Ailis Ward.Image 4 of 5
Organisers and instructors Ciara Ryan, Nicola O’Sullivan and Tessa Kingston of Surf2Heal with Kate Feeney of Cork Sports Partnership.Image 5 of 5
Ben Twomey showing how good he is to his instructors.Cork caught a wave of kindness this month when Ireland’s first ever surfing camp for people on the autism spectrum returned to the water.
Surf2Heal is a not-for profit organisation that offers young people with autism the chance to try surfing with the help of experienced and qualified volunteers. Established in 2008, the camp runs every August at Garretstown Beach and was inspired by a local boy with autism named Sean and his mother who found great joy and release by swimming in the sea.
Many of the surfers who attend the club are non-verbal or have more than one disability and cannot avail of traditional sports such as GAA. “My girl can be nervous socially, but it was such a treat to see her laughing, messing and having great chats with the volunteers,” said one parent.
According to Surf2Heal, the weightlessness and rhythms of the ocean offer a therapeutic experience for the surfers, many of whom struggle with sensory overload. “Over the years we've seen that Surf2Heal also has a profound impact on parents. Autism parents are always hearing about what their children cannot do but at Surf2heal, it's all about what their kids can do. For parents to see their kid up on a surfboard, sometimes, it's nothing less than a miracle,” said a spokesperson for the organisation.
The camp is run entirely by volunteers with qualifications in areas including outdoor instructing, special needs and care assisting, SNAs, holistic therapy, psychology, psychotherapy, and teaching.
There are also sister camps at Inch and Inchydoney that cater for families in East and West Cork.
This year’s camp ran from 7-11 August but now the group has set up a weekly club to allow older, long-term surfers to progress to be independent surfers.