“Depression is like a blanket, it covers you completely. It holds you tight and won’t let go. It wraps itself around you and tells you lies. It grows bigger and bigger until soon, you’re drowning. At the start of my freshman year of high school, I was smothered by a blanket of depression. The expectation to get good grades, make new friends, and plan my future constantly filled my mind and pressured me to be someone I wasn’t. As my classmates prepared for the next years of high school, I wasn’t even sure if I would make it to graduation. However, people in my life refused to let me turn to the darkness. They took my hand and guided me through the toughest years of my life. Help surrounded me through my parents, my friends, and a program called Surfrider Spirit Sessions.

Surfrider helps youth in Hawai’i by teaching them life lessons and values through surfing. At each weekly session, I was greeted by the warm embrace of the program's mentors, who taught us how to tackle waves, get past our adversity, and build a stronger future for ourselves. The mentors were positive role models who helped us grow by giving us the confidence to do things we didn't think we could do, like surf.

Like life, surfing is not easy. You have to be patient for the waves to come. You also have to accept that you won’t catch every wave that comes along. In my life, I felt like I was paddling so hard but could never catch a wave. I was trying so hard to be someone I wasn’t and lost myself. At Surfrider, the people I met weren’t intimidated by my problems, cheered on my accomplishments, and made me feel like I mattered. When I caught my first wave, it was life-changing. It's such a rush to feel the soft sea spray hit your face and see the crystal blue water beneath you as you glide across the ocean. Each surfer is diverse, and there’s a chance to showcase your personality on the waves.

Just like catching that first wave, Surfrider was life-changing. Surfrider connected me to people who encouraged me to take risks and connect with the ocean. Learning to surf and being in the ocean healed me. It gave me a place where I could relax and not think about my problems. With the saltwater around me, I could feel my stress and worries floating away. The ocean gave me a sense of peace and a greater perspective and appreciation for life. I could uniquely express myself through surfing and showing my skills on the waves. Surfrider gave me the confidence to stand up and ride an epic wave of life to a brighter future.”