Salute to USA Surfing Veteran Athletes
BY JUDE MERKEL
COVID-19 has altered the course of almost everything this past year, and USA Surfing and its events were no exception. Two things that haven’t changed are the therapeutic benefits of surfing and honoring our nation’s veterans. These two went hand in hand when the International Surfing Association (ISA) hosted the AmpSurf World Para Surfing Championship this past March.
USA Surfing brought the top 15 Paralympic surfing athletes in the country to the competition March 11–15 in La Jolla, California. For the first time, more than half of the Toyota USA Para Surfing team were veterans. While this was Para Surfing’s last event before the global shutdown, it was helpful in gaining momentum and awareness for the sport, which is making a big push to officially add surfing to the Paralympic games.
“USA Surfing is both proud and honored, to say that over half of our Paralympic Surfing Team is comprised of veterans of the United States armed forces,” team captain and USA Surfing board member Christiaan “Otter” Bailey said. “We strongly feel that their prior service has instilled not only an incredibly high standard of professionalism, but has also fostered a consummate drive and determination to achieving athletic excellence! It’s these bedrock principles that have forged Team USA into one of the most formidable players on the world Paralympic Surfing scene!”
Sarah Bettencourt, Jose Martinez, Christy Gardner, Dana Cummings and Carter Hess are among the five veterans who are part of the Toyota USA Para Surfing team.
Bettencourt and Martinez won the gold and bronze medal, respectively, in the March contest.
The skill, athleticism and stoke of USA Surfing’s Para Surfing athletes are next level.
Martinez, an Army veteran, was serving in Afghanistan when an IED explosion left him a triple amputee. He introduced surfing into his physical and mental recovery and has been breaking barriers in the gym and in the water ever since.
His Instagram timeline shares the work he puts in physically, mentally and spiritually. One post shows him getting rolled by a wave. He wrote:
“No greater feeling in the world than getting worked by the ocean water. Reach heights, never reach limits!”
Martinez reflects often on what it takes to overcome depression and disappointment, hoping to inspire others.
While PTSD, depression and sleep apnea affect a large part of the population, the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs has reported that PTSD affects 30 percent of veterans, compared to 7 percent of the general population.
In 2018, the Navy invested $1 million in a three-year research project, correlating the positive benefits of surfing as a form of therapy.
After deployment ends, combat veterans are thrown back into everyday life, and traumas and thought patterns follow them home.
Upon their return and in a world of never-ending tasks, events, birthdays and obligations, it can be hard to unplug, reflect and take care of any mental health needs. Surfing has its own “tasks” and “events” but in the form of studying forecasts, reading a wave, picking lines to carve, or landing that air.
2020 ISA World ParaSurfing Gold medalist Sarah Bettencourt knows something about focus and resilience. She was medically retired from the U.S. Marine Corps in 2012 due to a rare neurological disorder that stems from flying helicopters.
Bettencourt is an incredible athlete, competing in sled hockey, skiing, and surfing (in addition to being a mother to two young boys!).
She embraces the intoxicating mix of peace and excitement surfing provides.
“I love the moments just before surfing — the salty air, the breaking waves, the wildlife, the excitement to be part of it all. Enjoy your little moments today,” Bettencourt said in a recent Instagram post.
Surfing is excellent practice for staying present.
If you’re thinking about what went wrong at work or what groceries you need to pick up, you’ll miss seeing a set coming or a rippable section.
Surfing requires staying vigilant, calm, and ready to adapt.
The parallels are very similar to life in and out of the service. If you can fit a surf session into your day, it’s a better day.
Research shows something happens to your brain and mood directly after getting out of the water, particularly cold water.
According to National Institute of Health, “Cold water immersion (CWI) induces significant physiological and biochemical changes in the body such as increase in heart rate, blood pressure, metabolism.” The increase in circulation also releases the mood-booster dopamine and decreases stress hormones.”
Today, we recommend you get in some cold water and thanking a veteran. Research and experience say you’ll feel much better afterwards.
