150 Volunteers Help 20 Wounded Veterans Surf in Florida

Desmond Howell spent his first year surfing on his stomach, the second year on his knees, and this year he stood up and rode five waves all the way to shore.

The wounded veteran joined over 20 severely injured service members at New Smyrna Beach on June 13 for an annual surfing event that's changing lives one wave at a time. The Wounded Warrior Project and Oceans of Hope Foundation have partnered since 2015 to give veterans with brain injuries, spinal cord damage, and other severe trauma a chance to feel freedom again.

"Surfing wasn't easy," Howell said afterward. "You've got to have all coordination intact to jump on the board, have balance, and know how to navigate through the waves. It was a great experience."

For many of these veterans, the hardest part of injury isn't the physical limitation. It's the isolation. A recent survey showed nearly 4 in 5 warriors served by the Wounded Warrior Project feel isolated sometimes or often.

Jerry Padgett knows that feeling well. The Navy veteran lost his ability to walk after an explosion in Afghanistan in 2006. But every year, he returns to New Smyrna Beach to surf.

"The best thing about this event is the camaraderie," Padgett said. "That connection you get with other veterans who are wanting to live the best life they can and enjoy it in the process."

The event exists because Danny Paltjon refused to give up after a softball game injury left him paralyzed in 2003. After three years of feeling stuck, he moved from New Jersey to Florida and discovered New Smyrna Beach had hard-packed sand his wheelchair could cross.

"I was able to get on the ground, out of my chair, and just shimmy out there and float in the water for hours," Paltjon said. He founded Oceans of Hope Foundation 14 years ago to share that feeling of freedom with others.

On June 13, some 150 volunteers surrounded the veterans in the water, ensuring their safety while they conquered the waves. The Smyrna Surfari Club, a local group of surfers, has provided volunteer support since the beginning.

Why This Inspires

Wilton Williamson Jr., vice president of connection at Wounded Warrior Project, says watching warriors do hard things together restores what many lost after leaving service. Many haven't left their homes in months. Some are uncomfortable in water or scared of surfboards. But surrounded by fellow veterans and volunteers who believe in them, they try anyway.

For Padgett, being in the Atlantic Ocean means more than recreation. "Being out in the water is freedom," he said. Surfing showed him that even after a life-changing injury, moments of pure joy still exist.

The event proves that when communities show up, injured veterans discover they can still conquer new challenges and find their way back to connection.