Adaptive surfing allows people with physical disabilities to enjoy the waves.

Monique “Moon” Kelley grew up skateboarding on the Oregon Coast and never thought she would become an athlete. But after a car accident paralyzed her from the waist down, she started adaptive surfing with the help of coach Gabe Smith. They all introduced with us in detail the working principle of adaptive surfing and Kelly's goal of participating in the Paralympics.

The transcript was created by a computer and edited by volunteers.

Dave Miller: This is Think Out Loud on OPB. This is Dave Miller. Monique Kelly, who grew up on the coast of Oregon, was never interested in surfing. Then, five years ago, Kelly was paralyzed from the waist down in a car accident. Now, with the help of coach Gabe Smith, he is the director of Nelscott Reef Pro, a major surfing competition in Lincoln City, and Kelly is riding the wind and waves on an adaptive surfboard. Monique Kelly and Gabe Smith join me now. Welcome to think aloud.

Monique Kelly and Gabe Smith: Thank you very much, and I am very happy to be here.

Miller: I am glad to have you in Monique. Let us start with you. As I mentioned, you were paralyzed from the waist down after a car accident in 2017. Earlier, you imagined what range of activities you can do, and how do you imagine your life?

Monique Kelly: In the initial stage of my injury, to be honest, I think my life is over, and I think the things I once found happiness are over for me. I didn't decide to engage in an adaptive sport until I recovered to the point where I could engage in sports again and get rid of the back brace.

Miller: How did you decide what it might be?

Monique Kelley: To be honest, I don't know what sports I would be interested in because I have never been an athlete before. When Gabe reached out to me and offered me adaptive surfing lessons, this surfing opportunity fell on my lap.

Miller: Gabe Smith-this seems to be a lucky time for both of you. When did you start working extensively on accessibility issues for people with various disabilities on the coast?

Gabe Smith: Well, it happened at the 2019 Nelscott Reef Pro event. One of our viewers, a father, lost his legs, and he started talking to me about adaptive surfing. I never really thought about it before. Then we ended up holding an event in Coos Bay, which is actually my hometown, and we almost didn’t... [connection lost]

Miller: We will work on the Gabe Smith link because it just melted a little bit for a second. But Monique Kelly, can you still hear me?

Miller: Okay. Gabe Smith. We want, we want to see if we can make better connections. So what happened in Coos Bay a few years ago?

Gabe Smith: So because I met Larry at the event and he explained adaptive surfing to me, I ended up holding an adaptive event in Coos Bay in my hometown. We had about 100 people attending. I really need Sort out the exposure in the whole thing. Then, Christiaan Bailey, the captain of the Olympic surfing team, decided to join me in my Big Wave event and brought five different adaptable surfers from all over the world. We are talking about France, the United Kingdom; these people come to participate in the 2020 event, and then COVID hits. So I found myself sitting in Bahama Boards Cannon Beach Surf Shop and can use two beach wheelchairs, thanks to the city of Cannon Beach. I always take people out just to go to the beach. A friend of mine broke his back [sic] in a motorcycle accident. I persuaded him to try surfing. He actually laughed at me and thought I was crazy, he did a good job, unfortunately COVID hit him, he was a little bit of exile and eventually died. I think my old goal of teaching people adaptive surfing is a bit over. I just keep thinking about it. Then I met Monique through the surf shop, and I offered to take her to adaptive surfing. She was completely immersed in it.

Miller: Monique, what was your first thought when Gabe said you wanted to go out and play surfboards?

Kelly: To be honest, I grew up on the Oregon Coast and I always looked at the surfers as if they were absolutely crazy. For a million years, I never imagined myself on the water.

Miller: What do you think is the madness of surfers?

Kelly: Especially in the Pacific Northwest, the situation is completely different from California or anywhere else. The water is muddy. The weather is cold. Yes, it seems a bit dangerous.

Miller: What made you say yes?

Kelley: To be honest, Gabe promoted me the idea that we can not only impact the disabled community, but also the entire Oregon community. One of our goals is to popularize all the beaches in Oregon. This was indeed the idea that got me signing in the first place.

Miller: Gabe Smith, this is a bit different from adaptive surfing, which seems to be almost the first thing you do to help disabled people get to the beach. What challenges do people in wheelchairs or people with limited mobility face? Sometimes even simply reaching the beach, and then when they reach the beach, the challenge of walking around?

Gabe Smith: Well, we have several beaches in Oregon that can be reached, such as Cannon Beach, but unfortunately the waves in front of Cannon Beach are not very good. So all beaches in Oregon have the same problem. We have big waves throughout the winter. Any kind of wheelchair ramp or any kind of mat or anything you can put there will be washed away in the winter. The wheelchair ramp is super expensive. Just not enough, I guess Oregon is interested in investing infrastructure in creating wheelchair accessible ramps for beaches. Most importantly, none of them exist in surf spots in Oregon. It's not like you can go surfing anywhere. Only a few beaches are really suitable for this, Short Sands, which is Oswald West, is the main beach for all surfing in Oregon, and you cannot go there in a wheelchair. So, I really had to push her to the bottom of the rock, pick her up, and take her into the sand. Same as everyone else. You know, this is what we have been doing. We kept lifting them over the rocks, and we kept lifting their wheelchairs to the beach. Wheelchairs in this city can help us, but you know, their location is a bit poor and not a good surf spot. So this is a big difficulty for surfing. Anyone with a disability can enter the beach, but there is no proper infrastructure. There are steep steps and jagged trails. I mean, we haven’t invested the time and energy to make this content accessible to everyone, it’s a fact.

Miller: Monique, can you describe how once you get to the beach with the help of Gabe Smith and others, can you describe how adaptive surfing works?

Kelly: So for each adopted surfer, the situation will be different, depending on the degree of injury. For me, I do so-called prone surfing. So I am currently surfing on my stomach. I have Gabe and a team of volunteers. They help me get out of the water, then push me onto the waves, and then we have someone along the coastline looking for help catching.

Miller: Do you remember when you first caught the wave?

Miller: What does that look like?

Kelly: Oh, this is a very proud moment for me. This is one of the most exciting and uplifting moments I have ever experienced.

Miller: Can you describe the physical sensation of being moved by water?

Kelly: This is very therapeutic. It requires a lot of balance.

Miller: Gabe Smith. What do you get from this job? What made you do this?

Smith: I mean, obviously this is a good thing. It feels good to be a part of it. It’s more important than anything else. I think it’s very inspiring for myself. For five years, I have been working hard to accomplish some things in Oregon. This has encountered many difficulties and challenges. People like Moon [Monique] have definitely inspired me to continue my goal. I know that I'm doing this. For the right reason, I know that doing something like this with Moon makes me very happy.

Miller: So has the adaptive surfing work changed your view of your own surfing?

Smith: Oh yes. The whole adaptive project that I participated in completely allowed me to see a whole different world that I didn't even realize it existed. It's not just surfing, it's all adaptive sports. It’s these people, you know, they have a reason to be frustrated. They look at the past, they won’t sit there frustrated, they will fight for what they believe, especially athletes, adaptable athletes, I think it’s very Inspiring because they are beyond what they are dealing with and they are able to accomplish great things.

Miller: If you’re just adjusting, we’re talking to surfing coach Gabe Smith, the director of the Nelscott Reef professional, that’s the big wave surfing competition in Lincoln City and Monique Kelly, he’s an adaptation Sex surfer. Monique, what are your current goals or dreams in surfing?

Kelly: So one of our long-term goals, perhaps our biggest goal, is to participate in the next Paralympic Games, which is four years later. As a short-term goal, I hope to go to a surf camp next year to better hone my skills and see some other adaptive surfers to see what they do and what equipment they use. I hope that in the near future, I want to transition from prone surfing to surf skiing, which will make me more independent on the water.

Miller: Does it mean that it will be easier for you to go out and find them back to drive the waves?

Kelly: So the wave ski is where you sit, your legs are tied up, and you use the paddle, just like a kayak paddle. So I can paddle independently or push myself on the waves.

Miller: What would you say to other people who are paralyzed or have other disabilities? They may be listening now, and our thoughts will never be mine. I won't go out, can't I go out to play surfboard?

Kelly: You know, I have the same idea, but the truth is, unless you try, you will never know.

Miller: And Gabe Smith, what plans do you have to improve the accessibility of Oregon beaches? You have listed many challenges now, what can you or others do to change it?

Smith: Well, such a show will definitely help. I want awareness, I want people to know that we are doing this. I talked to the State Park and they actually came to Cannon Beach very friendly and had a very serious conversation with me on the matter, explaining the cost. They have no objection to doing this, I just feel like a beach-the wheelchair situation in Oregon includes Manzanita, Cannon Beach and the waterfront. There are two chairs in each of the three towns. These chairs cost $5,000 to get someone down to the beach, right? You won’t get these anywhere else in Oregon. People who work and answer the phone at Bahama Boards will call from Northern California and drive all the way to Manzanita in Cannon Beach to use these chairs. So, for me, the idea is to make enough people care about this, and we actually did something and invested in some infrastructure. It is absolutely possible to descend the wheelchair ramp onto the beach. My ultimate goal is to park the Adaptive Suffer in the parking lot, sit in a chair, roll to the beach in a wetsuit, jump on his surfboard, and then go out without any help. That is our goal for me and my friend Austin, and we are so close to achieving it. you know what I mean? We just set up an additional or intentional place, such as in Short Sands, where we can put wheelchairs on the beach, at least in summer. Obviously it is not necessary to work in winter, but not just for surfing, so that anyone can go to the beach, because I have heard stories about hundreds of people having to go to the beach. Because of these chairs, this is their last time or the first time in years. once. This may seem like a trivial matter, but for people who can’t go to the beach, it’s really not a trivial matter.

Miller: Gabe Smith and Monique Kelly, thank you very much for joining us today.

Smith/Kelly: Thank you. Thank you.

Miller: I really want to give Nicky Davidson a hat tip. She recently wrote a great article about Monique and Gabe on The Daily Astorian. Thank you very much for listening to Think Out Loud on OPB and KLCC. Today, I am Dave Miller. We will come back tomorrow. Think Out Loud is supported by Steve and Jan Oliver, Rose E. Tucker Charitable Trust, and Ray and Marilyn Johnson.

If you would like to comment on any topic in this program, or propose your own topic, please contact us via Facebook or Twitter, send an email to thinkoutloud@opb.org, or you can leave our voicemail phone number 503- 293-1983. The call-in number for noon hours is 888-665-5865.