My name is Jeremy Levy. I am 36 years old, and I am from Aurora, Colorado. I am totally blind and have been since birth.
I enjoy swimming, playing the piano, skiing, and traveling. Hawaii is one of my favorite places to visit. Since I was a young child, I have always wanted to surf. Maybe it was I heard about in Hawaiian music, or maybe it was I heard people talking about it. I wondered what the experience would feel like. Whenever my family would visit Hawaii, we would ask people where I could learn how to surf. No one would take the responsibility or liability of taking me out surfing. During a Challenged Athletes swimming clinic in Denver, someone at the clinic told us about AccesSurf. In 2017, I had my first AccesSurf experience, and I was hooked. I loved how attentive and patient everyone at AccesSurf was. Since then, our family has planned our annual vacation around the first Saturday of a month in the winter.
I feel the AccesSurf people are part of my Ohana, and I know that I’m a part of theirs as well. When I surf it feels like I’m flying, and it makes me feel like I’m free, similar to when I’m skiing in the mountains of Colorado. Kristen was my first surfing instructor, and I really appreciated her patience, and letting me know what was going to happen. Including letting me know when to close my mouth when a wave was coming. I really treasure all the wonderful work AccesSurf does for people who have disabilities.
