“But that wave, that moment, reminded me who I was,” Shawnie Whitaker.

Part of the magic of the ocean is in how it reminds us of who we are. What is already worth celebrating.

When I signed on as an editor and writer for Amplitude magazine, I had been looking for an opportunity to tell people’s stories. I had no idea just how much I would be impacted and inspired by the stories of amputees and those living with limb difference that I had the honor of interviewing. One of my favorite projects to date was spending time researching adaptive surf communities around the country and discovering their waves of impact among participants.

The following story, “Amputee Surfers Find Empowerment in Wave Therapy,” explores how adaptive surfing programs are empowering amputees to reconnect with themselves and the ocean. It features Melanie Ebig, a recent amputee who discovered a newfound passion for surfing through the Adaptive Surf Project's Wheel to Surf event in South Carolina. The piece also highlights the transformative impact of inclusive surf communities, showcasing leaders like Dana Cummings, a Marine Corps veteran and founder of AmpSurf, who has been instrumental in bringing adaptive surfing to veterans and individuals with disabilities. Additionally, it acknowledges the tremendous efforts and achievements of Charles "Chaka" Webb, founder of Stoke for Life and the Adaptive Surfing Professionals (AASP). Webb has played a pivotal role in elevating adaptive surfing to a professional level, and Shawnie Whitaker, a Stoke for Life ambassador, shares with us his journey from a wreck that left him with a 5% chance to live, to claiming the 2021 US Open Adaptive Surfing championship.

Read about it here….

A Way Forward….