August 24, 2024 • 18 mins
There are all kinds of therapies out there to help what ails you - art, music, animals, and much more - but have you heard of surf therapy? Gnome Surf is a non-profit working on the South Coast of Massachusetts and Rhode Island, and their mission is to help people who are neurodivergent, disabled, suffering from PTSD, and many others reduce their anxiety, improve their focus, and learn how to love the water. COO Jen Potter joins the show this week to talk with Nichole about their efforts and how this special therapy is changing lives.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:07):
From WBZ News Radio in Boston. This is New England Weekend.
Each and every week we come together, we talk about
all the topics important to you and the place where
you live. It is so good to be back with
you again this week. I'm Nicole Davis. Now, there's a
pretty good chance you've heard of art therapy, music therapy,
physical therapy, perhaps animal therapy like goats and puppies. But
(00:29):
here's one you may not be as familiar with. We're
talking about surf therapy. See on the South Coast, there's
a group called gnome Surf and they're out there helping
people who are disabled, suffering from PTSD, neurodivergent and much more,
reduce their anxiety, improve their focus and learn how to
love the water. At the same time, Jen Potter is
the COO at Nomesurf. She's here with us to tell
(00:51):
us how this all works. Jen, really good to have
you here. Let's start by learning a bit about Nomesurf
and how it all came together.
Speaker 2 (00:58):
So Chris started this organization a few years ago a
passion that he's always had. Surf therapy or surf has
always been something that he's been really you know, involved
in when he was out in Portugal. It's something that
he did a lot. He is severe ADHD and it's
ironic because I do too, But that's kind of what
drew me to the organization. He started this organization to,
(01:21):
you know, help other people that have different abilities, neurodivergent
kids with like different abilities. We service so many different
inclusive organizations and communities, and he just wanted to start
something that was bringing everybody together, creating this magic where
all of these people of all different kinds can come
together and find the safe space in the water.
Speaker 1 (01:44):
Now on the south coast of Massachusetts. I'm from that region,
so I know that we've got some really nice speeches
there and if the waves want to behave they can
definitely be some decent swells. What is it like when
you have people who come for the first time and think,
oh my gosh, how am I ever going to learn
how to do?
Speaker 2 (01:59):
This? Happens a lot, and you know, it's funny. One
of the things that Chris always asks, He's like, is
anyone scared? And you know, every now and again you'll
get the one or two kids that raise their hand
and he's like, me too, and you know, just to
make them feel comfortable right and let them know that
it is the ocean. It is big, it can be scary,
but we're here to protect you and here to make
you safe and really love doing it. So you know,
(02:22):
there are some times where the waves are a little big,
but we're always safety is first, So we want to
make sure that we're always being safe and making sure
that we're protecting everybody, so we'll never go on the
water in unsafe conditions. We want to make sure that
we're giving them the best possible experience. So we are
selective with how we do it, which you know can
be a little hard here on the South Coast because
sometimes the waves behave and sometimes they don't, so we just,
(02:44):
you know, try to work around it.
Speaker 1 (02:46):
So what exactly is surf therapy? How does surfing help
people who are neurodivergent or going through some tough times?
What exactly is this?
Speaker 2 (02:55):
So it's giving them an opportunity to do something that
they might have not felt comfort well enough to do
or ever think that it's something that they could do.
So being here in the South Coast, a lot of
us have access to water, but we are never in it.
I grew up on the water about one hundred feet
away from the water, and I never went in it.
And we're able to provide this opportunity from you know,
(03:17):
especially like New Bedford Fall River cities, with these kids
that barely go in the water, with an opportunity to
do something that's completely different and experience it from a
place of safety, experience it from a place of you know,
understanding how to feel in the water and you know,
both in and out of the water, and giving them
(03:38):
that safe place where and making it fun.
Speaker 1 (03:42):
So then tell me a little bit about your story,
because I'm curious about that. You mentioned how you grew
up just so close to the water and it was
just never something you did. What then led you to
get into serf therapy.
Speaker 2 (03:53):
I actually lived in Hawaii about twenty years ago. Craasy
to say that out loud, I'm really not that old.
About twenty years ago, I lived in Hawaii and I
started getting into surfing and it's something that I truly
love doing. And it's funny because I grew up on
the water but never did it here, And when I
came back, I wasn't in the water as much as
I probably would have liked to. I actually after I
(04:15):
had my daughter, I had a fear of going in
the water for a period of time, so that was
kind of difficult, not wanting to go in the water
at all. But it was through my middle son. I
have three kiddos, and my middle son has Tourette and
high functioning autism and Chris, you know, I told Chris
about my kiddos. I knew what he was working on
(04:36):
prior to even being a part of the organization. He's like,
you just need to get him in the water. You
just need to get him in the water. And you know,
for a long time I didn't, and then just one day,
you know, he approached me about working with the organization,
and I brought my kiddos and I got my middle
son in the water, and literally before my eyes, I
watched my son change the way he felt getting onto
(04:59):
the board. This kid, who you know, is hesitant about
doing things. He's a creature of habit and you know,
he's a lot of things scare him and a lot
of things don't. But getting on a surfboard, I would
have never thought that he would get on the surfboard
and it I just watched him change, and I watched
how the instructors acted with him and this, you know,
one particular instructor who is one of our leader, our
(05:22):
junior leaders in our organization, Ivan. Watching how he interacted
with my son, it really brought like tears to my eyes,
like I legit was crying on the beach. And later
on after his first lesson, my son went home and
he drew like this big elaborate picture of him surfing
with Ivan, and you know what a great experience it
was for him, and how he couldn't wait to come
(05:42):
back because it gave him all of the different things
that he that he was like searching for, that he needed.
And you know, it was it was through my son
that I was like, all right, I'm sold. But it
was also myself and the feeling that I get when
we help these kids, just like my son. You know,
I'm able to do that every day. I love watching
(06:03):
these kids in the water. It's it's fulfilling, you know.
I said it to someone this morning. I was like, selfishly,
I do this because it's fulfilling for me. It makes
me happy, and it's why I do it every day
and why I continue to do it because what Chris
created is such an amazing opportunity and community.
Speaker 1 (06:19):
I don't think it's selfish so much as it is
you're finding your purpose right and to be a mom
and to have that unconditional love for your children and
watch them grow and develop and thrive and really start
to soar break through these barriers. You mentioned how that
you know essentially brings tears to your eyes, but that's
going to be very fulfilling for you as a mom
as well, knowing that, look, my child, I've told them
(06:40):
they can do anything, and now I'm watching them actually
do it.
Speaker 2 (06:43):
Oh absolutely, And I have three kiddos, and my daughter
starts as well, and this year she actually starts on
her own, so that's actually really wild to watch. My
middle son is still you know, my youngest son is
still kind of getting there. But like it's it's amazing
watching all three of my kids at the water and
doing this, and just like you said, as a mom,
(07:03):
this is it's amazing. And then as a mom witnessing
all of these other things happened with these other kids
and those moms on the beach, I literally cry every
time I want to work.
Speaker 1 (07:14):
If I remember correctly, you've got either a mom's group
or a women's group that works with Gnomesurf as well.
Speaker 2 (07:19):
Right, absolutely, So that's how I actually got involved with
nome So. Chris came to me a few years ago
and said he wanted to start a group for the
mom so like for the mom kids that are part
of the organization, and it and it grew, and it
happened so quickly. When he approached me, I own other
businesses in the community, and I'm like, I don't have time.
(07:40):
He's like, but I'm telling you, you're gonna love it
and you're going to want to do it. And he
you know, he's such an amazing salesman, like he like,
I was sold because his passion, it's what drives him.
And so as soon as he said, I was like,
you know what, absolutely, I'll do it. And it was like,
I'm going to work one day a week and I'm
going to you know, be a part of this group.
And it turned into something so much bigger and so amazing.
(08:02):
And you know, we have a few sunset surfs and
we have Sunday mornings where we do yoga and meditation
and sound healing and surfing and it has evolved into
such an amazing program watching all of these women come
together and do something so amazing. And it's amazing because
I get to work with like these little, tiny kids,
(08:23):
but then I also get to work with adults, and
it's just it's it's amazing.
Speaker 1 (08:27):
Life is so difficult for so many of us right now,
especially coming out of the height of the pandemic, and
especially being a mom and having to deal with, you know,
kids coming out of the high of the pandemic, and
just the world is always running at seven hundred and
fifty thousand miles an hour, it seems, and you've got
all these responsibilities. Just being there at the beach as
it is, I know for me personally, it's a place
(08:48):
to recharge and reset. But being in this group and
just being you know, face to face and hand to
hand with these women and just taking a minute to
breathe and put your mental health first. I can't even
imagine and what that must feel like for you.
Speaker 2 (09:02):
It's it's incredible. And you know, with the like you said,
like the craziness, the everyday craziness, it is the one
place that I don't look at my phone. I'm completely
connected from you know, the scrolling and the text messages,
and like there are days that I leave the beach,
and it's like and I have one hundred text messages,
but while I'm at the beach, I don't have to
(09:23):
deal with any of it. I'm disconnected and I'm present.
My feet are grounded, I'm in the water. You know
that blue mindset of spending. You know a certain period
of time in the water. I think it's like twenty
three minutes where you're there to just like let the
ocean just really start to just sink into like your being.
And for me to be perfectly honest, if I go
(09:43):
a day without putting my feet in the water, I'm cranky.
Speaker 1 (09:47):
If I can't be near the water for an extended
period of time, I start to get a little like
I got to get back to the beach. I got
to get back to the beach. I can't be that far.
I could never live in like Kansas or something in
a flyover state because I just can't be that far
from the ocean.
Speaker 2 (09:59):
Same I couldn't do. I was in Arizona back in April,
and it was funny because I'm like, there's no water
around me, and you know, they have like these big
man made lakes and I was like, no, this isn't
the same. I can feel it feel the same.
Speaker 1 (10:12):
No, no, no, no, never, never the same. So people
might be thinking, Okay, I want to try surf therapy,
but perhaps you know I have a bit of an
issue with my eyesight, Perhaps I, you know, am dealing
with some sort of injury, or perhaps I, you know,
have these mental health concerns. I think it's important to note,
and I saw this on your website, like you are
(10:32):
open to anybody who wants to come.
Speaker 2 (10:35):
Correct, So we accommodate every every accommodation that we possibly can,
and that's within our reach. We want to make sure
that we're here to support because it's you know, it's
not about catching a big giant wave and like surfing
down the line and you know, doing all of these
crazy tricks. It's about getting out and experiencing something beyond yourself,
(10:56):
beyond your comfort zone, but in a safe environment, and
you know, doing it the right way and the safe way,
and all of our instructors, you know, we're trained to
work with all different abilities. We have to spend an
extensive amount of time in the water training to make
sure that you know, we can accommodate everybody, and you know,
depending on the athlete. You know, there's sometimes that you know,
(11:18):
whether it's a two year old athlete or an eighty
year old athlete. We're always looking for, you know, the
accommodations that they need, so you know, some sometimes an
athlete might need three or four instructors. So the way
that we schedule everything is to make sure that we're
there to accommodate for the athlete and make sure that
they're able to enjoy it and experience it from a
place of safety and also knowledge.
Speaker 1 (11:39):
I appreciate that you call everybody an athlete because I
feel like many of us who well aren't athletic. You know,
I'd love to go and learn how to serve, but
I am very much somebody who's not athletic. But it's
got to be a mental thing too, when you're getting
there and thinking, I don't it doesn't matter what i
have going on mentally or physically, I'm still considered an athlete.
(12:00):
That's such a big boost for these people.
Speaker 2 (12:03):
Oh absolutely. And you know, I kid around with everybody
because I was a competitive athlete. Chris was as well,
and a bunch of other people that are part of
the team. But as I've gotten older, and I actually
have a heart condition. I've had a heart attack, so
I have to be very cautious with what I do
health wise. But I always tell them I'm a recreational athlete,
(12:25):
and I say it to all my groups, and I
say to everyone, They're like, yeah, but you do this,
and I was like, no, no, no, I do it.
But we're like, I'm a recreational athlete. I do it
for fun. And you know, just so you know, like
I ran a marathon, but it took me six hours
to do it. It's not like I'm doing it in
two hours and twenty minutes, you know what I mean.
So everything I do, I pace myself and anybody can
(12:46):
do that. And I think when we can be relatable
to our athletes and say, hey, it's not how long
it takes, it's just the action of doing just getting
to the beach. Like you know, I've had I've had
people that have been part of this organization as volunteers
that in the water because of their own fears or
their own insecurities. And I've been able to provide a space,
(13:08):
you know, the whole organization has been able to provide
a space. But you know, through the mom's group where
like we have these women who have been terrified. Their
kids are athletes, but they're like, well, I don't want
to embarrass myself or I don't know if I can
do it. I'm like, just walk in the water with me.
I will make you feel comfortable and I will get
you up on a board in the way that you
feel comfortable, in the way that you feel safe, and
(13:28):
you know, when you're able to provide that for somebody else,
the confidence that you're able to walk away with. Like
I've watched women in tears because they're like, I didn't
think I could do that. I'm like, right, but that's
what we're here for. We're here to encourage that. We're
here to you know, give you that that boost and
that you know. We do it for our kids, but
we don't do it for ourselves. No.
Speaker 1 (13:48):
Now, I think a lot of moms and adults and
just all of us, we give so much to other people.
We don't think about filling our own cup. Really, it's
just so encouraging to see you out there focusing on
not just filling up your own cup, but helping people
who normally wouldn't otherwise give them the space and the
brain space to do that too.
Speaker 2 (14:08):
Oh yeah, absolutely, and the fact that we're able to
provide that, and you know, we started the Salty Mom's
group and now we actually Chris started a group for
dads and guys as well, called Rad Dads, and that's
actually going to be starting in the next few weeks,
which is really cool because now we have something for everyone.
We have like the girls team, the boys team, for
(14:29):
our younger athletes, we have you know, the mom's group,
the Dad's group, and everything in between. So we're able
to offer all different types of experiences for literally the
whole family.
Speaker 1 (14:41):
So money, of course, is a concern. Things are super
expensive right now. Inflation is really high and a lot
of families are struggling. What is your price structure like
for these events and for these lessons.
Speaker 2 (14:53):
So they're all, I mean, everything is completely different when
it comes to prices. Like we do have one on
one lessons, but we also so offer camps. Our girls
team and boys team actually part of it too. We
also get grants and things like that, so that actually
helps to pay for some of it. Our camps, some
of them do have a cost, some of them. You know,
(15:14):
if if it's community based, it's actually donation based, so
that's what you would pay. So you know, if you're
signing up an athlete and you can pick how much money,
whether you want to you know, donate twenty dollars or
whether you want to donate two hundred, you know, whatever
you feel comfortable donating. So it allows families of all
different you know, financial abilities to be able to be
(15:36):
a part of it as well. And one of the
things that we've been doing through one of the grants
is we've been giving away sessions. So if you follow
us on social media, Chris picks a winner like every
week and they actually get a free session so they
can actually come and participate and it doesn't cost anything
to the families to do so. But there's so many
opportunities to do it. You know, we work with organizations
(15:57):
that that provide this for the community. We work with
organizations that you know, reimburse depending on what organization that
they're part of, so there there are a lot of
ways to pay for it. So you know, it's it's
not a super cheap sport. It is you know, fairly expensive.
You know, our equipment is very expensive. It's not just
a regular surfboard. We have therapeutic boards. They're wider, they're safer,
(16:18):
they're more buoyant, so it allows us to be able
to you know, get people on the board safely. So
I think the biggest thing is, you know, if you're
interested in it, follow us on social media, definitely click
on the website and you know, check it out. But
there's a way for everyone to participate.
Speaker 1 (16:36):
Sure, And do you focus mostly in places like New
Bedford or Fall River. I know you're based in Rhode
Island technically like Little Compton, Tiverton, that area where do
you normally hold these events?
Speaker 2 (16:48):
So a majority of the season has been at Horseneck
Beach and Westport, Mass majority of our lessons are there.
We also have we're at Selshore Beach, which is right
down the street from our shop in Little Compton. We
are we've been at a nantasket up in the South Shore,
and we actually have a travel team, so we have
been doing events in all different areas. So if anyone
(17:10):
who is listening, who's by the water and you know,
has a really great spot for us to surf and
hold an event, We're always open to new places.
Speaker 1 (17:18):
Beautiful. I love it. Okay, So let's talk about social media,
how people can get a hold of you, maybe you
learn more about surf therapy. Where can they find you?
Speaker 2 (17:26):
Yeah, absolutely follow us. Follow us at nome surf on
Facebook and Instagram. We post there constantly with all the
different events and all the different things that we're doing.
That's Facebook is definitely, I think one of the biggest
ones because that's where we post all of the different events.
But or just nomesurf dot com.
Speaker 1 (17:44):
Okay, and that's g n O M. By the waynome
is in like lawn gnome exactly. Okay, nomesurf dot com.
Jen Potter from nomesurf, this is really cool stuff you're doing.
Thank you so much for working with our kids, working
with our moms, working with everybody to get them in
the water and give them a space just to chill out.
Speaker 2 (18:02):
Absolutely, thank you for having me.
Speaker 1 (18:04):
Have a safe and healthy weekend. Please join me again
next week for another edition of the show. I'm Nicole
Davis from WBZ News Radio on iHeartRadio.
From WBZ News Radio in Boston. This is New England Weekend.
Each and every week we come together, we talk about
all the topics important to you and the place where
you live. It is so good to be back with
you again this week. I'm Nicole Davis. Now, there's a
pretty good chance you've heard of art therapy, music therapy,
physical therapy, perhaps animal therapy like goats and puppies. But
(00:29):
here's one you may not be as familiar with. We're
talking about surf therapy. See on the South Coast, there's
a group called gnome Surf and they're out there helping
people who are disabled, suffering from PTSD, neurodivergent and much more,
reduce their anxiety, improve their focus and learn how to
love the water. At the same time, Jen Potter is
the COO at Nomesurf. She's here with us to tell
(00:51):
us how this all works. Jen, really good to have
you here. Let's start by learning a bit about Nomesurf
and how it all came together.
Speaker 2 (00:58):
So Chris started this organization a few years ago a
passion that he's always had. Surf therapy or surf has
always been something that he's been really you know, involved
in when he was out in Portugal. It's something that
he did a lot. He is severe ADHD and it's
ironic because I do too, But that's kind of what
drew me to the organization. He started this organization to,
(01:21):
you know, help other people that have different abilities, neurodivergent
kids with like different abilities. We service so many different
inclusive organizations and communities, and he just wanted to start
something that was bringing everybody together, creating this magic where
all of these people of all different kinds can come
together and find the safe space in the water.
Speaker 1 (01:44):
Now on the south coast of Massachusetts. I'm from that region,
so I know that we've got some really nice speeches
there and if the waves want to behave they can
definitely be some decent swells. What is it like when
you have people who come for the first time and think,
oh my gosh, how am I ever going to learn
how to do?
Speaker 2 (01:59):
This? Happens a lot, and you know, it's funny. One
of the things that Chris always asks, He's like, is
anyone scared? And you know, every now and again you'll
get the one or two kids that raise their hand
and he's like, me too, and you know, just to
make them feel comfortable right and let them know that
it is the ocean. It is big, it can be scary,
but we're here to protect you and here to make
you safe and really love doing it. So you know,
(02:22):
there are some times where the waves are a little big,
but we're always safety is first, So we want to
make sure that we're always being safe and making sure
that we're protecting everybody, so we'll never go on the
water in unsafe conditions. We want to make sure that
we're giving them the best possible experience. So we are
selective with how we do it, which you know can
be a little hard here on the South Coast because
sometimes the waves behave and sometimes they don't, so we just,
(02:44):
you know, try to work around it.
Speaker 1 (02:46):
So what exactly is surf therapy? How does surfing help
people who are neurodivergent or going through some tough times?
What exactly is this?
Speaker 2 (02:55):
So it's giving them an opportunity to do something that
they might have not felt comfort well enough to do
or ever think that it's something that they could do.
So being here in the South Coast, a lot of
us have access to water, but we are never in it.
I grew up on the water about one hundred feet
away from the water, and I never went in it.
And we're able to provide this opportunity from you know,
(03:17):
especially like New Bedford Fall River cities, with these kids
that barely go in the water, with an opportunity to
do something that's completely different and experience it from a
place of safety, experience it from a place of you know,
understanding how to feel in the water and you know,
both in and out of the water, and giving them
(03:38):
that safe place where and making it fun.
Speaker 1 (03:42):
So then tell me a little bit about your story,
because I'm curious about that. You mentioned how you grew
up just so close to the water and it was
just never something you did. What then led you to
get into serf therapy.
Speaker 2 (03:53):
I actually lived in Hawaii about twenty years ago. Craasy
to say that out loud, I'm really not that old.
About twenty years ago, I lived in Hawaii and I
started getting into surfing and it's something that I truly
love doing. And it's funny because I grew up on
the water but never did it here, And when I
came back, I wasn't in the water as much as
I probably would have liked to. I actually after I
(04:15):
had my daughter, I had a fear of going in
the water for a period of time, so that was
kind of difficult, not wanting to go in the water
at all. But it was through my middle son. I
have three kiddos, and my middle son has Tourette and
high functioning autism and Chris, you know, I told Chris
about my kiddos. I knew what he was working on
(04:36):
prior to even being a part of the organization. He's like,
you just need to get him in the water. You
just need to get him in the water. And you know,
for a long time I didn't, and then just one day,
you know, he approached me about working with the organization,
and I brought my kiddos and I got my middle
son in the water, and literally before my eyes, I
watched my son change the way he felt getting onto
(04:59):
the board. This kid, who you know, is hesitant about
doing things. He's a creature of habit and you know,
he's a lot of things scare him and a lot
of things don't. But getting on a surfboard, I would
have never thought that he would get on the surfboard
and it I just watched him change, and I watched
how the instructors acted with him and this, you know,
one particular instructor who is one of our leader, our
(05:22):
junior leaders in our organization, Ivan. Watching how he interacted
with my son, it really brought like tears to my eyes,
like I legit was crying on the beach. And later
on after his first lesson, my son went home and
he drew like this big elaborate picture of him surfing
with Ivan, and you know what a great experience it
was for him, and how he couldn't wait to come
(05:42):
back because it gave him all of the different things
that he that he was like searching for, that he needed.
And you know, it was it was through my son
that I was like, all right, I'm sold. But it
was also myself and the feeling that I get when
we help these kids, just like my son. You know,
I'm able to do that every day. I love watching
(06:03):
these kids in the water. It's it's fulfilling, you know.
I said it to someone this morning. I was like, selfishly,
I do this because it's fulfilling for me. It makes
me happy, and it's why I do it every day
and why I continue to do it because what Chris
created is such an amazing opportunity and community.
Speaker 1 (06:19):
I don't think it's selfish so much as it is
you're finding your purpose right and to be a mom
and to have that unconditional love for your children and
watch them grow and develop and thrive and really start
to soar break through these barriers. You mentioned how that
you know essentially brings tears to your eyes, but that's
going to be very fulfilling for you as a mom
as well, knowing that, look, my child, I've told them
(06:40):
they can do anything, and now I'm watching them actually
do it.
Speaker 2 (06:43):
Oh absolutely, And I have three kiddos, and my daughter
starts as well, and this year she actually starts on
her own, so that's actually really wild to watch. My
middle son is still you know, my youngest son is
still kind of getting there. But like it's it's amazing
watching all three of my kids at the water and
doing this, and just like you said, as a mom,
(07:03):
this is it's amazing. And then as a mom witnessing
all of these other things happened with these other kids
and those moms on the beach, I literally cry every
time I want to work.
Speaker 1 (07:14):
If I remember correctly, you've got either a mom's group
or a women's group that works with Gnomesurf as well.
Speaker 2 (07:19):
Right, absolutely, So that's how I actually got involved with
nome So. Chris came to me a few years ago
and said he wanted to start a group for the
mom so like for the mom kids that are part
of the organization, and it and it grew, and it
happened so quickly. When he approached me, I own other
businesses in the community, and I'm like, I don't have time.
(07:40):
He's like, but I'm telling you, you're gonna love it
and you're going to want to do it. And he
you know, he's such an amazing salesman, like he like,
I was sold because his passion, it's what drives him.
And so as soon as he said, I was like,
you know what, absolutely, I'll do it. And it was like,
I'm going to work one day a week and I'm
going to you know, be a part of this group.
And it turned into something so much bigger and so amazing.
(08:02):
And you know, we have a few sunset surfs and
we have Sunday mornings where we do yoga and meditation
and sound healing and surfing and it has evolved into
such an amazing program watching all of these women come
together and do something so amazing. And it's amazing because
I get to work with like these little, tiny kids,
(08:23):
but then I also get to work with adults, and
it's just it's it's amazing.
Speaker 1 (08:27):
Life is so difficult for so many of us right now,
especially coming out of the height of the pandemic, and
especially being a mom and having to deal with, you know,
kids coming out of the high of the pandemic, and
just the world is always running at seven hundred and
fifty thousand miles an hour, it seems, and you've got
all these responsibilities. Just being there at the beach as
it is, I know for me personally, it's a place
(08:48):
to recharge and reset. But being in this group and
just being you know, face to face and hand to
hand with these women and just taking a minute to
breathe and put your mental health first. I can't even
imagine and what that must feel like for you.
Speaker 2 (09:02):
It's it's incredible. And you know, with the like you said,
like the craziness, the everyday craziness, it is the one
place that I don't look at my phone. I'm completely
connected from you know, the scrolling and the text messages,
and like there are days that I leave the beach,
and it's like and I have one hundred text messages,
but while I'm at the beach, I don't have to
(09:23):
deal with any of it. I'm disconnected and I'm present.
My feet are grounded, I'm in the water. You know
that blue mindset of spending. You know a certain period
of time in the water. I think it's like twenty
three minutes where you're there to just like let the
ocean just really start to just sink into like your being.
And for me to be perfectly honest, if I go
(09:43):
a day without putting my feet in the water, I'm cranky.
Speaker 1 (09:47):
If I can't be near the water for an extended
period of time, I start to get a little like
I got to get back to the beach. I got
to get back to the beach. I can't be that far.
I could never live in like Kansas or something in
a flyover state because I just can't be that far
from the ocean.
Speaker 2 (09:59):
Same I couldn't do. I was in Arizona back in April,
and it was funny because I'm like, there's no water
around me, and you know, they have like these big
man made lakes and I was like, no, this isn't
the same. I can feel it feel the same.
Speaker 1 (10:12):
No, no, no, no, never, never the same. So people
might be thinking, Okay, I want to try surf therapy,
but perhaps you know I have a bit of an
issue with my eyesight, Perhaps I, you know, am dealing
with some sort of injury, or perhaps I, you know,
have these mental health concerns. I think it's important to note,
and I saw this on your website, like you are
(10:32):
open to anybody who wants to come.
Speaker 2 (10:35):
Correct, So we accommodate every every accommodation that we possibly can,
and that's within our reach. We want to make sure
that we're here to support because it's you know, it's
not about catching a big giant wave and like surfing
down the line and you know, doing all of these
crazy tricks. It's about getting out and experiencing something beyond yourself,
(10:56):
beyond your comfort zone, but in a safe environment, and
you know, doing it the right way and the safe way,
and all of our instructors, you know, we're trained to
work with all different abilities. We have to spend an
extensive amount of time in the water training to make
sure that you know, we can accommodate everybody, and you know,
depending on the athlete. You know, there's sometimes that you know,
(11:18):
whether it's a two year old athlete or an eighty
year old athlete. We're always looking for, you know, the
accommodations that they need, so you know, some sometimes an
athlete might need three or four instructors. So the way
that we schedule everything is to make sure that we're
there to accommodate for the athlete and make sure that
they're able to enjoy it and experience it from a
place of safety and also knowledge.
Speaker 1 (11:39):
I appreciate that you call everybody an athlete because I
feel like many of us who well aren't athletic. You know,
I'd love to go and learn how to serve, but
I am very much somebody who's not athletic. But it's
got to be a mental thing too, when you're getting
there and thinking, I don't it doesn't matter what i
have going on mentally or physically, I'm still considered an athlete.
(12:00):
That's such a big boost for these people.
Speaker 2 (12:03):
Oh absolutely. And you know, I kid around with everybody
because I was a competitive athlete. Chris was as well,
and a bunch of other people that are part of
the team. But as I've gotten older, and I actually
have a heart condition. I've had a heart attack, so
I have to be very cautious with what I do
health wise. But I always tell them I'm a recreational athlete,
(12:25):
and I say it to all my groups, and I
say to everyone, They're like, yeah, but you do this,
and I was like, no, no, no, I do it.
But we're like, I'm a recreational athlete. I do it
for fun. And you know, just so you know, like
I ran a marathon, but it took me six hours
to do it. It's not like I'm doing it in
two hours and twenty minutes, you know what I mean.
So everything I do, I pace myself and anybody can
(12:46):
do that. And I think when we can be relatable
to our athletes and say, hey, it's not how long
it takes, it's just the action of doing just getting
to the beach. Like you know, I've had I've had
people that have been part of this organization as volunteers
that in the water because of their own fears or
their own insecurities. And I've been able to provide a space,
(13:08):
you know, the whole organization has been able to provide
a space. But you know, through the mom's group where
like we have these women who have been terrified. Their
kids are athletes, but they're like, well, I don't want
to embarrass myself or I don't know if I can
do it. I'm like, just walk in the water with me.
I will make you feel comfortable and I will get
you up on a board in the way that you
feel comfortable, in the way that you feel safe, and
(13:28):
you know, when you're able to provide that for somebody else,
the confidence that you're able to walk away with. Like
I've watched women in tears because they're like, I didn't
think I could do that. I'm like, right, but that's
what we're here for. We're here to encourage that. We're
here to you know, give you that that boost and
that you know. We do it for our kids, but
we don't do it for ourselves. No.
Speaker 1 (13:48):
Now, I think a lot of moms and adults and
just all of us, we give so much to other people.
We don't think about filling our own cup. Really, it's
just so encouraging to see you out there focusing on
not just filling up your own cup, but helping people
who normally wouldn't otherwise give them the space and the
brain space to do that too.
Speaker 2 (14:08):
Oh yeah, absolutely, and the fact that we're able to
provide that, and you know, we started the Salty Mom's
group and now we actually Chris started a group for
dads and guys as well, called Rad Dads, and that's
actually going to be starting in the next few weeks,
which is really cool because now we have something for everyone.
We have like the girls team, the boys team, for
(14:29):
our younger athletes, we have you know, the mom's group,
the Dad's group, and everything in between. So we're able
to offer all different types of experiences for literally the
whole family.
Speaker 1 (14:41):
So money, of course, is a concern. Things are super
expensive right now. Inflation is really high and a lot
of families are struggling. What is your price structure like
for these events and for these lessons.
Speaker 2 (14:53):
So they're all, I mean, everything is completely different when
it comes to prices. Like we do have one on
one lessons, but we also so offer camps. Our girls
team and boys team actually part of it too. We
also get grants and things like that, so that actually
helps to pay for some of it. Our camps, some
of them do have a cost, some of them. You know,
(15:14):
if if it's community based, it's actually donation based, so
that's what you would pay. So you know, if you're
signing up an athlete and you can pick how much money,
whether you want to you know, donate twenty dollars or
whether you want to donate two hundred, you know, whatever
you feel comfortable donating. So it allows families of all
different you know, financial abilities to be able to be
(15:36):
a part of it as well. And one of the
things that we've been doing through one of the grants
is we've been giving away sessions. So if you follow
us on social media, Chris picks a winner like every
week and they actually get a free session so they
can actually come and participate and it doesn't cost anything
to the families to do so. But there's so many
opportunities to do it. You know, we work with organizations
(15:57):
that that provide this for the community. We work with
organizations that you know, reimburse depending on what organization that
they're part of, so there there are a lot of
ways to pay for it. So you know, it's it's
not a super cheap sport. It is you know, fairly expensive.
You know, our equipment is very expensive. It's not just
a regular surfboard. We have therapeutic boards. They're wider, they're safer,
(16:18):
they're more buoyant, so it allows us to be able
to you know, get people on the board safely. So
I think the biggest thing is, you know, if you're
interested in it, follow us on social media, definitely click
on the website and you know, check it out. But
there's a way for everyone to participate.
Speaker 1 (16:36):
Sure, And do you focus mostly in places like New
Bedford or Fall River. I know you're based in Rhode
Island technically like Little Compton, Tiverton, that area where do
you normally hold these events?
Speaker 2 (16:48):
So a majority of the season has been at Horseneck
Beach and Westport, Mass majority of our lessons are there.
We also have we're at Selshore Beach, which is right
down the street from our shop in Little Compton. We
are we've been at a nantasket up in the South Shore,
and we actually have a travel team, so we have
been doing events in all different areas. So if anyone
(17:10):
who is listening, who's by the water and you know,
has a really great spot for us to surf and
hold an event, We're always open to new places.
Speaker 1 (17:18):
Beautiful. I love it. Okay, So let's talk about social media,
how people can get a hold of you, maybe you
learn more about surf therapy. Where can they find you?
Speaker 2 (17:26):
Yeah, absolutely follow us. Follow us at nome surf on
Facebook and Instagram. We post there constantly with all the
different events and all the different things that we're doing.
That's Facebook is definitely, I think one of the biggest
ones because that's where we post all of the different events.
But or just nomesurf dot com.
Speaker 1 (17:44):
Okay, and that's g n O M. By the waynome
is in like lawn gnome exactly. Okay, nomesurf dot com.
Jen Potter from nomesurf, this is really cool stuff you're doing.
Thank you so much for working with our kids, working
with our moms, working with everybody to get them in
the water and give them a space just to chill out.
Speaker 2 (18:02):
Absolutely, thank you for having me.
Speaker 1 (18:04):
Have a safe and healthy weekend. Please join me again
next week for another edition of the show. I'm Nicole
Davis from WBZ News Radio on iHeartRadio.
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang
Ding dong! Join your culture consultants, Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang, on an unforgettable journey into the beating heart of CULTURE. Alongside sizzling special guests, they GET INTO the hottest pop-culture moments of the day and the formative cultural experiences that turned them into Culturistas. Produced by the Big Money Players Network and iHeartRadio.