Injured service personnel hit the waves in Cornwall

A group of wounded, injured and sick (WIS) servicemen and women headed to Cornwall last week (September 11th to 16th) to take part in an adaptive surfing programme. The group of 18 attended the event at Watergate Bay, which was run by Help for Heroes and supported by the Endeavour Fund and Amazing Surf Adventures.

The week-long programme aimed to help those participating to overcome the limitations they perceive themselves to have to due to their physical and mental disabilities. Surfing was used as a form of rehabilitation during the week, working as a recovery activity.

Being on the open water aimed to bring the group together and help them learn about adaptive surfing, being taught by world-class instructors. The week was put on by Help for Heroes as part of its Sports Recovery Programme.

Lead strength and conditioning coach at Help for Heroes, Jonpaul Nevin, said: “Op Surf UK is a development of the Op Surf programme which has been running in the USA for the past six years. Over this time, hundreds of British and American WIS service personnel have experienced the healing power of the ocean through surfing.

"To finally bring the programme over to the UK together with some best surf instructors from both sides of the Atlantic represents a truly awesome opportunity for even more British WIS to use surfing as part of their long-term rehabilitation/recovery.”

Surfing has been found to dramatically improve psychological and physiological wellbeing, which is why Op Surf is aiming to deliver week-long, all-inclusive surf camps to help with the long-term rehabilitation of WIS veterans and service personnel. It is building on similar courses that it has previously delivered in the US that have been provided over the last few years.

David Wideman, head of Armed Forces Programmes at the Endeavor Fund, said: “I was lucky enough to take part in an OpSurf week in the US a couple of years ago and can confirm just what an incredibly positive impact surfing can have on the well-being of wounded, injured and sick Service personnel and veterans.

"I was inspired by this experience and I’m thrilled that we’ve worked with Help For Heroes to bring this to the UK, giving others the chance to experience the rush of catching their first wave and further advance their experience with workshops about employment and life after the military."