A SURFING newbie has fallen in love with the waves at the Disabled Surfers Association ‘Let’s Go Surfing’ days on Leighton Beach in North Freo.
Marissa had never surfed before and was a bit unsure about catching some big ones, but she had set the goal with support worker Danni and wanted to push herself.
After a few tummy surfs on a bright red surfboard, Marissa’s confidence grow and before long she was riding a breaker all the way into shore.
• Marissa takes the plunge at Leighton Beach in North Fremantle with the Disabled Surfers Association.
“I was nervous at first, but I love being in the ocean, it’s calming and relaxing for me,” she says.
“When I got on the surfboard for the first time I was screaming because I thought I was going to fall off.
“But the expert volunteers helped and supported me on the surfboard and made me feel safe and secure.”
After catching some waves, Marissa and the other surfing pupils enjoyed a sausage sizzle and a chinwag on the shady foreshore.
“It’s nice and cool on a hot day,” she says.
Away from the ocean, Marissa, a client at disability service provider Rocky Bay, likes to exercise and socialise.
Once a week she goes bowling with her housemates at her supported accommodation housing (last week she got two strikes and won) and everyday she does laps of the grounds and uses the shaker machine.
Come night you might see her singing away—she enjoys a good old karaoke session and her favourite song is I Ran by A Flock of Seagulls.
She also likes to strut her stuff at the disco nights.
In her quieter moments she enjoys knitting—she recently made bed socks and is working on a blanket—and games of bingo.
If that wasn’t enough, on Saturdays she pool walks with her support worker, and also attends a lady’s church group and has morning tea at Gloria Jean’s.
But with Freo in the throes of an Indian summer, you might just see Marissa back at Leighton Beach, indulging her newfound passion.
“I love being able to ride the waves, it makes me feel like I’m flying,” she says.
“I love every bit of it”.
For more info see disabledsurfers.org and rockybay.org.au.
by STEPHEN POLLOCK