MY JOURNEY TO WELLNESS

I’ve always considered myself to be a healthy, active person, but it was when I started surfing and subsequently co-founded Waves for Change with my friend Tim Conibear, that my wellness journey really began.

I’ve been involved in all kinds of sports since I was a child living in my hometown of Masiphumelele. I love running and playing football to keep fit, but honestly it’s always been more about having fun for me. In terms of lifestyle, I’ve never smoked, or drunk alcohol, and I try to not eat a lot of meat – I do what makes me feel good.

Working for an organisation like Waves for Change, it’s impossible to not want to live well. I met Tim, my co-founder, when I was in high school and we became good friends. He began visiting me in Masi, the township I was living in, and we enjoyed learning about each other’s cultures and interests. It’s around this time that Tim invited me for a surfing lesson and I loved it. After a while, we had the idea of starting a surf club so we could share the benefits of surfing with the kids in my township, and Waves for Change (W4C) was born.

Since then, W4C has grown from voluntary weekend surfing sessions to what is now evidence-based Surf Therapy courses delivered through a network of Beach Safe Hubs. Our programme helps children from stressed environments develop meaningful social connections and healthy behaviours to cope with difficult thoughts and feelings resulting from trauma.

In South Africa, there’s a huge gap when it comes to accessing mental health care. That’s why we need to empower our children with the skills and tools to look after themselves, so they don’t need to wait for outside help. This way, they grow up to be adults equipped to take care of themselves in the future. The more we focus on raising children who are aware of mental health issues, and show them that there is help out there, the happier our nation will be. It’s about creating independence.

For me, surfing is an opportunity to connect with my emotions. If I’m sad for example, being in the water gives me a chance to think and change my perceptions, to view the situation differently. While surfing, you enter a state of being free which makes you feel more positive and hopeful. At W4C, we pair this feeling of freedom while surfing with mindbody therapy to help kids improve their mental health and relationship with themselves. My favourite meditation technique that we use at W4C is the Take 5 Body Scan. Using deep breathing and mindfulness as you focus on how each part of your body is feeling, it’s an opportunity to check in with yourself for five minutes, to help you respond to your thoughts and emotions more constructively. It’s something anyone can practice and that I try to do daily, along with surfing, to keep me grounded and more present.

My wellness journey is very much connected to the wellness journeys of the children I work with on a daily basis. That’s why I’d like to study further and get a degree in Community Development, so I can help heal more young people in and out of W4C. One of my biggest goals is to start a children’s home, and continue to challenge the quality of raising children that I’ve witnessed in South Africa.

Learn more about Waves for Change at waves-for-change.org and on Instagram at @wavesforchange.