Special Kids Surf Weekend
Special Kids in the UK ethos has always been that disability should not hold you back from anything you wish to achieve, that where there is a will… we can often find a way . Recently one of our members children saw a video online of another parent member assisting Surfability uk to take a young man with disabilities surfing, she desperately wanted to try this herself despite her complex disabilities and the fact she cannot swim. So began a mission to make this dream a reality and before long, the first Special Kids in the UK Surf weekend was planned.
Caswell Bay in South Wales was the rather beautiful location for this event which saw 8 families from all over the country meet up to take on the challenge. Benjamin Clifford and his team from Surfability, very kindly allocated us a Saturday afternoon slot on the beach where we would be able to try out his specially adapted surf board and beach wheelchairs to give our kids an experience they would never forget.
Children with varying abilities were able to ride the waves alongside their parents and siblings . For some of the children this was their very first experience of the sea!
From full time wheelchair users to wobbly walkers ,regardless of learning ability each child was given the opportunity to surf. Such an amazing achievement for each and every child taking part , many would have never believed they would be able to take part in the experience. The smiles of the day itself are plain for all to see but for many of the children the impact of their achievement will be much further reaching in building their long term confidence and belief in their abilities. Bringing families together helps build the confidence of not just the children but of their parents too, taking part in something with people who truly understand the difficulties and possible dangers involved for our children is invaluable. Lookout on social media #thiskidcan #familiestogether
For more photos of the day, please visit our Gallery page.
And check out the video below captured and edited by our very own Rob Jones who also made a massive contribution to making this event possible . Thank you to Rob , Ben, all the wonderful surfers at Surfability UK and all the inspirational children who took part . We look forward to the next challenge !
