Christina:
I am from Wisconsin but have been running away from the cold since I was 18. I like surfing and the beach. I had only surfed once before moving to Hawaii, but once I got here I was hooked! So, when I heard about AccesSurf from another medical student, I knew I had to go see what it was all about. After my first Day at the Beach, actually that first virtual training (shout out Angie!), I was inspired by the passion and commitment of the AccesSurf community and leaders to providing participants access to the ocean. I knew I wanted to be part of this awesome crew! AccesSurf is, as we are reminded every month, about fun! It is so much fun to get to hang out on the first Saturday of most months and celebrate participants enjoying the beach and the ocean. I don’t know if I can pick just one favorite memory as each AccesSurf event is full of so many joyful moments, but catching up with the AccesSurf ohana each month is a highlight for me. A huge thank you to all the leads, staff, volunteers, and participants who make the first Saturday of every month so special! Thank you, Tom and Dan, for teaching Ryan and me the ways of scheduling and about pop culture before sliced bread was invented. Given the nature of my medical training, I don’t know where I will be in a year, but I know that I will always have an ohana to come back to in Hawaii with AccesSurf. Mahalo nui loa!
Ryan:
Christina and I have lived on Oahu for almost 2 years now, but it didn’t feel like home until we found ‘ohana in AccesSurf. In the last year and a half of volunteering, I have met so many beautiful people and shared so many smiles. It is the highlight of every month to come out to DATB and be a part of the joy and community that the ocean provides. We don’t know where life will take us, but we know we’ll always have a home with AccesSurf. Mahalo Dan and Tom for mentoring us and mahalo all the participants, leads, and volunteers for making AccesSurf what it is, ‘ohana.
