Page 5 - Hawaii Island MidWeek - Dec 1, 2021

DECEMBER 1, 2021
HAWAI‘I ISLAND MIDWEEK 5
Making The Ocean ‘Acces’-sible To All
FROM PAGE 4
want to compete at higher lev- els. It’s why the organization created the Hawai‘i Adaptive Surf Team program in 2015. For the past six years, the team’s 20-25 members have competed all over the world, medaling at events like the Hale‘iwa International Open, USA National Surf Compe- tition, and the International Surf Association Adaptive World Championships. Com- ing up, a team of 12 will head to California to compete in the 2021 ISA World Para Surfing Championship. AccesSurf was also instrumental in launching the Hawai‘i Adaptive Surfing Championships, an interna- tional tournament that hosts upward of 80 athletes.
“We want people to know that there is a path, there is sup- port,” Short says. “If adaptive
surfing is a sport that someone is interested in pursuing, we can help them gain skills, and have coaching, leadership and mentorship.”
as Talk Story Tuesdays, which incorporates interviews with adaptive water athletes from around the world. A big part of these online endeavors is AccesSurf training and inno- vation lead Ann Yoshida, who created the Fitness For All pro- gram that focuses on adaptable workouts.
In her 13 years with Acces- Surf, Short has seen tremen- dous change in the nonprofit that’s grown so close to her heart. The shift from volun- teer to program coordinator in 2012 and then to executive director in 2014 proved to be challenging for Short, but being part of an organization like AccesSurf has her feeling fortunate.
“They’re all centered around water activities, like paddling, surfing or swim- ming,” explains Yoshida, a 2016 Paralympian. “I work with people and give them ideas of how to adapt each workout.”
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“I’m so blessed to be able to have this be my job,” she says. “The experience of being the executive director has been an honor, and I’ve learned a lot. It certainly makes me proud to be part of this community.
A full list of online events can be fount at accessurf.org/ weekly-virtual-meetings.
“Running a nonprofit at the best of times can be stressful, but in the last year-and-a-half, it has been a challenge. I’ ve been impressed with our com- munity and organization and how we were able to adjust and still serve our members.”
AccesSurf and its staff of six are bolstered by a volunteer base of nearly 1,000 — includ- ing its board, leadership com- mittees, coaches, lifeguards, therapists and more — and the community at large whose members have been supportive in giving of time and money to the grassroots nonprofit.
To keep its community engaged during the pandem- ic, AccesSurf started hosting virtual events, like online ex- ercise programs and classes to keep people in shape, as well
“The key to our success is our volunteer support,” adds Short. “They’ve made Acces- Surf possible.”
For more information, visit accessurf.org.
(Above and top) Volunteers and participants enjoy a day at the beach Nov. 6 for AccesSurf Hawai‘i’s 15th anniversary celebration at Kualoa Regional Park. PHOTOS COURTESY 2SHRUGS, ACCESSURF