Female Veterans Find Healing Through Surf Therapy in Australia

When dawn broke over Mudjimba Beach on Queensland's Sunshine Coast, a group of female veterans faced six to eight foot waves armed only with surfboards and hope. What started as a nerve-wracking morning mission became something truly transformative.

Tammy Grant, a 14-year defence force veteran who deployed to Afghanistan at just 22, launched the specialized surf therapy retreat in March. After years of struggling with PTSD from deployment, sexual assault, and childhood trauma, she discovered her own healing in the ocean through the Waves of Wellness program.

"When I was out in the water, I could feel my body responding. I could feel alive," Grant said. "I felt amazing when, the last six, seven years I'd felt just nothing."

She turned that breakthrough into action by earning a postgraduate degree in mental health and neuroscience and traveling to Scotland for the International Surf Therapy Organization's global conference. Now she's bringing that knowledge home to help other female veterans who've been overlooked.

Hannah Jagger, a medically retired army medic of 10 years, was initially hesitant to attend. Her psychologist convinced her to give it a try, and by day two something clicked as the women opened up to each other.

"When we leave the military, we lose those friendships and people that just get you," Jagger said. She was so moved by the experience that she became a sponsor to help subsidize future participants.

Lee Feakes joined the defence force at 45 and loved every day until bullying and sexual assault ruined the experience. She found most veteran programs were designed for men, forcing her to withhold information or change how she spoke.

The ocean environment made all the difference. "When you're out in the ocean on a surfboard, it's complete mindfulness because you can only think about what you're doing and suddenly your brain is in relaxed mode," Feakes explained.

The Ripple Effect

The program addresses a critical gap in veteran support services. Many female veterans face unique trauma including sexual assault and harassment, yet most existing programs cater primarily to men.

By creating a safe space where women can be vulnerable without judgment, Grant's retreat is building something deeper than surfing skills. The participants have formed lasting friendships and support networks that extend far beyond the beach.

Grant is now collaborating with the Women Veterans SURF Project in the US to raise global awareness and hopes to expand the program to help more ex-servicewomen across Australia.

The women who stood nervously on that beach in March have become "beautiful friends," proving that sometimes healing comes not from a therapist's office but from the ocean's powerful embrace.