Courtesy of WOWSA, Huntington Beach, California.
At the 2015 inaugural Surf Lifesaving Sports Festival in Beesley’s Point Sea Doo, Beesley’s Point in New Jersey, Josh Shadel was a star.
“People are still talking about the experience. Josh, one of our spinal athletes, did the 250-meter open water swim completely unassisted backstroke,” reported event organizer Bruckner Chase. “He then went on to compete in 3 paddleboard heats beating a few non-challenged athletes.
I will be focusing my efforts on developing this program with challenged athletes against the backdrop of surf lifesaving sports. There will be 2-3 of these events in New Jersey next year and I have received requests from Florida to Texas to hold similar events that enable physically disabled athletes to compete side-by-side with other ocean athletes.”
The events included a 250m ocean swim, 350m paddle, 600m surfski/kayak, swim-paddle solo, swim-paddle relay, and the grueling Ocean Hero Challenge (a solo and relay race that includes a continuous Paddle, Swim, SurfSki, Paddle, Swim, and SurfSki).
Copyright © 2015 by World Open Water Swimming Association