Northern Rivers local Leanne Whitehouse recently joined more than 120 surfers from 16 countries competing in the first Australian Pro Adaptive Surfing Championship in Byron Bay.
The adaptive pro event had nine divisions, including adapted categories for amputation, visual impairment, and neurological impairment affecting limbs.
An ardent surfer, she dreamed of going professional and competing on the world circuit, however at 21 suffered a traumatic injury in a car accident but was determined to return to the sea and surf. She accesses the NDIS through Social Futures and sees an exercise physiologist who has helped develop strength to ‘pop up’ or stand on a surfboard, a challenge due to her disability.
“Before the NDIS I was catching maybe 30 waves in a year. I think in the first year of having NDIS support I caught 2,000 because I had support to go out into the ocean.”
She is a passionate advocate for surfing as a way of building resilience for people living with brain injury and qualified to compete in the Australian Pro Adaptive Surfing Championship as an unclassified invitational adaptive surfer, in the ‘standup 2 unassisted below knee’ category.
While she didn’t make the finals she still feels like a pioneer as one of the few contestants with acquired brain injury.
Whitehouse surfs adaptively, wearing a helmet and glasses to protect against impacts and to assist with vision and vertigo. Outside competition she always has a surf support person with her to help her navigate vertigo and special awareness. The NDIS also funds support workers for her.
When not carving waves Whitehouse dedicates time to her not-for-profit organisation, Ability ID, that provides free identification cards for people with hidden disabilities, including brain injury, stroke, dementia, and autism.
“The ID cards are designed to help when people with disability find themselves in emergency situations or situations when they can’t speak.”
Her advice for others living with disability is to dream big, and to keep at it. “Never give up. That is my adage on everything and put your ego in your back pocket and ask for help.”