ALPHANSO (29), from Liberia Africa, has survived 3 major devastating traumas in his life thus far. He has survived the 15-year civil war in his home country ⎯ it could have ended his life but he escaped the mandatory draft, fleeing the region by boat and travelling thousands of miles away. Then the life-threatening Ebola outbreak took the lives of his friends and neighbors. Growing up in Liberia taught him how to be resilient and survive. He understands suffering and agonizing loss and how tormenting life can be. But the ocean reminds him to live, it helps him find his smile again. Catching a wave brings him back to those happy days before the unbearable trauma and loss. We watch him surf in the teal blue ocean off the north shore of Oahu. The whitewater dances off his back as he dives under a wave. His gregarious smile emerges and we feel his struggle soften.

LORRAINE (64), struggling with end stage breast cancer shares her emotional story of barely surviving tongue-biting seizures and cancer meds with nauseous hangovers for days. Growing up in La Jolla Shores, she had always turned to the ocean for her fitness, recreation and community. She talks about her joyous precancer life as a surfer, ocean swimmer, and body surfer and how growing up at the beach was her way of coping with life’s stresses. Now facing her terminal disease, the ocean is a sanctuary. Dipping in the saltwater is her reprieve from all the debilitating side-effects of the harsh chemo meds. Images of her diving under a wave and surfacing with a huge smile assures us of the efficacy of the ocean as a healing modality. Getting in the ocean allows her to feel weightless, free of the searing emotional pain and suffering from a terminal disease.

ATTILA (65) and a group of teenage boys (15-17) sit in a circle on the sand. They share their personal stories; an abusive father, child protective services placing them in a foster care home, and family history of abandonment and neglect. These boys are in the steadfast hands of a non-profit group Boys to Men, who serve as surrogate fathers or big brothers, mentoring and showing these fatherless teenage boys a way to manhood and a better life. Attila is one of the program directors for Boys to Men and talks about the arduous obstacles and relentless struggles these boys have gone through. Attila has great empathy; he is an amputee surfer and recently lost his wife to cancer. The battle within him is expansive, creating a dark depression. Losing his entire upper limb and shoulder girdle to cancer could have kept him out of the surf but his ocean community knew what he needed. His new adaptive surfboard and a gentle nudging from his fellow surfers got him back in the waves. Now he inspires young men who are as lost as he once was by sharing his story of surviving cancer, losing his arm, and the love of his life. The ocean is his savior and treatment. He teaches the boys that a new life awaits you when you find something you love. For Attila, it is the ocean. The group paddles out at Cardiff Reef and smiles erupt – they’ve discovered a safe place to be who they want to be, and live their lives as happy, healthy men. The ocean is their Rx.

QUINN (29) was born with cerebral palsy and is a quadriplegic, using a wheelchair to get around most places. She was introduced to sports at a young age and grew up playing adaptive basketball, rugby, and soccer. In 2013, Quinn fell in love with adaptive skating and surfing and the people she met along the way. Surrounded by positive, fearless and like-minded individuals, Quinn gained new perspective and confidence in living life with a disability. Quinn’s family embraced her love of surfing and came alongside her as “Team Quinn” to help support her in the water.

Currently, Quinn is on the US Adaptive Surf team and competes in their Assisted Prone division with the help of her father, David, who pushes her into waves. Together they are paving the way for other adaptive athletes to showcase their abilities and it is their goal to see Adaptive Surfing in the Olympics one day. It is Quinn’s mission to empower and advocate for the disabled community, and encourage others to discover and go after their passions in life.

Quinn’s organization; Team Quinn, was inspired by Quinn’s passion and energy for experiencing life to the fullest. The team hosts multiple events a year for other people needing assistance and adaptations in the surf, to help provide and safe and nurturing environment. Check out how to get involved at Teamquinnsurf.org.