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May 4, 2009
5668 visits
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Patrick Ivison hasn't walked since he was 14 months old.
But that hasn't stopped him from waterskiing, jet-skiing, kayaking, sailing, hand-cycling, playing rugby, surfing and just about anything else his mom will let him try.
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The first time I met Patrick, it was to go surfing. With the help of his mom and sister and teammates from the Scripps Ranch High School surf team, we got in the water with a support team of about ten. Robbie Nelson, who brought Patrick's board - an 8'4" Murphy, specially rigged with traction pads and strategically placed DaKine tow straps to tuck his elbows under so he stays in place on the board - is the point man when Patrick goes surfing, and calls the shots in the water. Nelson has all the necessary equipment and has been instrumental in helping Patrick get in the water at least a couple times a month. Without Nelson's help, it's likely Patrick would only get to surf at special events, with a few dozen other surfers, and only for a short amount of time. It's a low tide, so the team wheels Patrick down to the water's edge. When they get close enough, they transfer him from his chair, carrying him to the water and positioning him on his board in the shallows. As Nelson swims Patrick out to the lineup, the team separates into three pre-determined groups, each assigned to a different section in the water: the inside (catch team), the impact zone (the mid-break team) and the outside (the pitch team). On the outside are two groups. The first of which are the swimmers, wearing fins, who swim Patrick out into position and push him into waves. The second are surfers who paddle out with Patrick and shadow him on the waves he catches; taking off deeper and following him just in case anything should happen that might put him out of the reach of the others in the water. In the impact zone and on the inside are recovery teams. Their job is to get to Patrick as fast as possible, either after he falls or finishes his ride, and put him back on his board. Typically, barring a wipeout, Patrick will ride a wave until the fins run aground. "It is such a rush catching waves and feeling the power. I love how fast they are. When I'm on the waves it's like my disability is lifted and I feel totally free."
- Patrick on how it feels to surf
Talk about how you suffered your spinal cord injury. I was walking behind a car with my mom and the driver was arguing with his girlfriend and backed up suddenly, without looking. The car hit me and completely ran me over. I was actually trapped under the car at first and my mom screamed for someone to get the car off of me. I was Life Flighted to Children's hospital. It might surprise a lot of people to learn that you're a pretty active kid. Talk a little bit about the sports you're involved in and how you got into them. I play wheelchair Rugby for the San Diego Adaptive Sports Foundation. I found out about rugby when I was 4 years old and my mom signed me up for a wheelchair sports camp. It changed my life. At that camp I learned to waterski, jet-ski, kayak, sail, rugby, hand-cycle. It changed my Mom's attitude towards my situation because it showed her that I could still be an athlete. When did you first think you wanted to try surfing? I first wanted to try surfing after I saw the movie Step Into Liquid with Jesse Billauer. I had always wanted to learn to surf but I didn't know how it would be possible, and then I saw that movie. I came home and emailed Jesse through his Life Rolls On website, and he emailed me back a few hours later. Within a month I was in the water for the first time with him catching my very first wave thanks to a guy name Gene Roberts who took me out on a tandem board. I've said this a lot, but the first time I ever surfed it felt like I was flying. It was so incredibly free. Tell me a little more about what role Jesse Billauer and Life Rolls On have played in your surfing? Jesse and Life Rolls On have been there every step of the way. When I first learned about Jesse and LIfe Rolls On I just kept showing up everywhere they were going to be. I think they might have thought I was a little crazy at first and then they realized I wasn't going away, so they decided to put me to work. Jesse has been such an inspirtation and role model to me. He has a similar injury to mine and I look up to him and how he lives his life helping other people feel the beauty of the ocean and helping them to realize that life really can roll on after an injury. You're 14, a freshman in high school. What are some goals you've set for yourself by the time you graduate? By the time I graduate I definitely want to be more independent. I hope to be driving by then but accessible vehicles are super expensive so I'm not sure if that will happen. I'm training a service dog right now named Kona and he'll start school with me in the Fall. He'll make my life so much easier, not to mention he'll be a total chick magnet. I would love to walk across the stage at graduation too. I definitely want to surf more too. I work for Think First right now and I go to schools and talk about thinking first before you get in a car and take part in risky behavior so I'm hoping to still be working with them and traveling more too. Since you've been surfing, what sticks out as the coolest experience? Hands down the coolest experience ever was on July 29, 2007. It was my 13th birthday and I surfed at the US Open of Surfing Huntington Beach. Jesse called me 2 days earlier and said "Hey what are doing on Sunday? Want to surf for LRO?" Jesse had broken his leg and needed someone to represent. It's hard to put into words what that day was like. To say it was amazing would be an understatement. What does surfing mean to you? Surfing is my life now. It's a spiritual experience, and I feel so grateful to have been introduced to it in this life. I love that I'm a surfer. I love the ocean and everything about it. I feel truly blessed to have so many people that have been willing to help me get out there and catch waves. Describe how it feels, relative to everything else you've done. How high does it rank on your list of things you've done? Surfing is at the top. It is such a rush catching waves and feeling the power. I love how fast they are. When I'm on the waves it's like my disability is lifted and I feel totally free. I've had so many cool experiences because of surfing. I traveled to Costa Rica over Christmas and I've met the coolest people because of surfing. What pushes you to try new things? I realize that I was given a second chance at life and I refuse to waste it. I'm pushed to try new things because I want to keep pushing myself and my recovery. I want to see how well I can get and how much I can do despite the fact that I have an injury. So you're on the Scripps High surf team. Talk about your first-year experience on the team. The Scripps High surf team is absolutely amazing. I have an amazing crew of friends that I met through the team and they are so supportive and they jump at any opportunity to help me out. We've had the opportunity to get in the water a few times and they are incredible. I didn't go to any competitions this year we still surfed a bunch. What's Project Walk? Project Walk is a spinal cord injury recovery center. I started there in January 2005 and have made incredible progress. I can wiggle my toes and I'm able to peddle a stationary bike. I can transfer myself now. Their philosophy is that if I want to lose the chair I have to be out of it as much as possible so sometimes during the workout I forget where I left it. I spend about eight hours a week doing therapy. It's not covered by insurance so we do fundraising through Help Patrick Walk. What sort of progress have you made since you started your recovery program at Project Walk? I take steps now with the help of a walker and two trainers. I can push myself up the ramp into my house. I opened a water bottle for the first time about a month ago. I know it sounds small but we were stoked. I can get my shirt on and off and number one I can take myself to the bathroom now. I have enough finger movement that I can manage a catheter and I don't have to have my mom glued to my side everywhere I go. She's excited about that too. Take me through your typical day. A typical day. I get up really early. My mom is in nursing school so she wakes me up sometime at 4:30 in the morning to get me ready -- another incentive for me to be independent -- then I go to school until around 1:10. I get out early so I can go to Project Walk, and I'm there from 2 to 4:30. A week ago I had the guys from Scripps surf team meet me at Carlsbad state beach. We went out and tried to catch a few waves, but they weren't cooperating and were too big, so we loaded up in the van soaking wet and drove down to Cardiff where the waves were a little more forgiving and surfed there until it was dark. Then we came home and chowed down and hosed everything off. I don't think I got any homework done that night but it was a great day. What's your favorite part about surfing? Favorite part about surfing... the people. To learn more about Patrick, visit Help Patrick Walk. Want to see more from San Diego? Click here to visit the Surfline San Diego home page, or to go to the Surfline San Diego archive, click here. MORE SURF NEWS SURFLINE HOME PAGE |