Paraplegic surfer helps others with nonprofit Stoke for Life
By Diane Ako
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HONOLULU (KITV) — The founder of a surfing group for people with disabilities says the ocean keeps him Aging Well. Charles Webb lost the use of his legs in a car crash when he was 19.
It took him almost a quarter century to make his peace with it – thanks to surfing. He now works to spread a message of hope to others living with disability.
On land, the members of Stoke for Life are reminded of disabilities they live with. That’s why they’re all too glad to leave their wheelchairs behind for a surf session.
“The water is what we in the adaptive community like to call The Great Equalizer,” pronounced Charles Webb, 56, a world-class adaptive surfer.
Webb started in 2013 when a friend showed him how to outfit a board so he could enter the Battle of the Paddle stand up paddleboarding contest.
The audience reaction was overwhelming.
“People from around the world were emailing and texting me, Facebooking me saying, ‘Hey how can I do that?'” he recalled.
Webb founded Stoke for Life to answer that question.
“Stoke for Life is a nonprofit geared towards education in adaptive water sports and advancement in adaptive water sports equipment. We advocate for accessibility in our beach and waterway communities,” he said.
It is based in San Diego and has about two dozen members. Once a year, they find themselves here on Waikiki Beach for a surf contest.
Chris Walker, a quadriplegic, is a Stoke for Life member.
“I am stoked for life, and Chuck has been such an inspiration. He’s proven to me that as you get older you can still get at doing what you love,” Walker said.
He and his fellow members competed in the U.S. Open Adaptive Surfing Championships World-Wide Tour in mid-May against surfers from 17 countries. But the real reward, they say, is the simple joy of being in the water.
“It’s just freedom. It’s free of this, the disability. It’s free of any problems or troubles you might have,” Webb explained.
“Eighty percent of my body is paralyzed, so it’s terrifying to get on the water- but after I do it and I get out it’s like, so amazing it makes me feel alive. I have this adrenaline rush afterwards that’s just – you can’t compare it to anything else!” Walker added.
That positive feeling, says Webb, creates a ripple effect he hopes will change people’s lives for the better.
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