Surf therapy nurtures process of ‘self-discovery’ among children with disabilities

“Surfing makes me want to scream; I’m happy! Surfing makes me feel different.”

These sentiments were taken straight from the mouths of children with disabilities, who participated in a special surf therapy programme designed by University of Cape Town (UCT) PhD graduand Roxy Davis. Their experiences are captured boldly in her thesis in Chapter 3. 

Roxy’s PhD initially kicked off as a master’s degree in disability studies at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. But it was upgraded to a PhD due to the niche area of her research, which focuses on the benefits of ocean-based therapy for children with disabilities, and the long-term impact her work is likely to have on this vulnerable sector of society in South Africa.

“The fact that so little literature exists on this topic globally, I was drawn to it like a magnet.”

Roxy will receive her doctorate degree on Tuesday, 3 September. And during that academic walk of fame across the stage in the Sarah Baartman Hall, she will spare a moment for the long list of people who helped to make it all possible: her husband, William; and children Daniel, James and Grace; her supervisor, Professor Theresa Lorenzo; co-supervisors, Professor Yumna Albertus (UCT) and Professor Angus Hunter (Nottingham Trent University); and the community (children with disabilities, their families and volunteers) who showed up as participants and believed that her research study would set the groundwork for something meaningful later on.

“I have always felt connected to the ocean. It’s a place that grounds me, brings clarity to my thoughts and provides me with a great sense of peace. And the fact that so little literature exists on this topic globally, I was drawn to it like a magnet,” she said.

An eye-opening conference

In 2019, as ocean-based therapy started to gain momentum globally and shortly after first meeting Professor Lorenzo, Roxy attended the International Surf Therapy Conference in California in the United States. At that stage, around 50 organisations from around the world had started networking and connecting as International Surf Therapy Organisation (ISTO) advocates, and the conference brought them all together. Their goal was to collaborate, share knowledge and surf therapy best practices with enthusiasts from all over the world.

At a plenary session, Roxy was surprised to find out that only about 20 research papers existed on the topic globally. Of course, she wanted to contribute too! On the last day of the conference, she set the wheels in motion and drafted a research proposal for a master’s thesis. And as they say, the rest is history.

The initial master’s programme comprised a structured six-week surf therapy programme, which included interviews with participants, parents, guardians and their supporting professionals. After the upgrade, the requirements shifted slightly. She incorporated additional follow-up interviews and introduced a volunteer focus group (which included surfing instructors, physiotherapists and volunteers who supported the programme). She also developed a more structured surf therapy programme guide, aimed at South African children with disabilities.

“It was a wild ride. I started my research at the onset of the pandemic and needed to constantly adapt to the changes with restrictions that government had set at the time. But through it all, I was determined to keep going and to have this work support and inform change. The intention is not for it to be a book on a shelf. The intention is for it to make a difference in the lives of children with disabilities,” Roxy said.

Mental, physical and emotional well-being promoter

Her study foregrounds how a handful of children with various disabilities, including spastic diplegia cerebral palsy (CP) – a type of CP that causes muscle stiffness and spasms; spastic quadriplegic high tone CP – characterised by weak and inactive postural muscles of the neck and trunk; spina bifida – a birth deficit that affects spinal cord development; and children with upper and lower limb loss experienced surf therapy. Participants all attend special needs schools and the majority live in under-resourced communities on the Cape Flats.

Their response to the programme was overwhelmingly positive. And Roxy documented all of it in Chapter 3 – a first-person account that tells individual stories of five participants at different stages in the programme. She said these narratives incorporate what life was like before, during and 12 months after their participation. Chapter 4 analyses the findings and explores the effect the programme has had on their lives.

In summary, she said, her research found that surf therapy promotes mental, physical and emotional health and well-being; the process allowed participants to reshape their views on the world and assisted them with developing transferable skills like teamwork, communication, and adaptability, necessary for everyday life. Further, the programme also helped broaden participants’ horizon on what’s possible, what they can achieve if they focus and persevere and how to be “champions for change” in their respective life stories. The positivity and skillset, Roxy said, extended beyond the programme and filtered into their school and social lives as well.

“We found this programme demonstrated that not all scary circumstances lead to negative outcomes, since many considered the idea of surfing daunting because of their disabilities. Yet, the programme proved that there’s great value in it for children with disabilities and it facilitated a process of self-discovery,” Roxy said.  

Community impact

What was also particularly significant, Roxy said, was the impact the programme had on volunteers, which included rehabilitative clinicians, as well as surfing enthusiasts.

“Volunteers also highlighted that the experience gave them a different, enlightening lens with which to view people with disabilities.”

“During focus groups, the volunteers expressed how the programme supported their individual skills development processes and helped them to master personal positive affective behaviour,” she said. “Volunteers also highlighted that the experience gave them a different, enlightening lens with which to view people with disabilities, thanks to their multidirectional interactions.”

Now the real work starts. She said her research has already influenced policy development based on the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) in South Africa. And because certain programme adaptations were based on various stakeholders’ input, she is confident that it will inform policy planning and development at provincial government level as well. This, she said, will have an important effect on access to facilities at the Muizenberg beach in Cape Town, where the surf therapy programme is delivered. 

Further, she said she hopes the research will set a firm foundation to create more inclusive beach spaces for people with disabilities. And first prize would be to use her programme as a scaffold to develop similar initiatives aimed at children with disabilities in other coastal provinces.

“Additionally, we developed a theory of change for surf therapy programmes for children with disabilities in South Africa which will be used moving forward,” Roxy said.

‘Finding your why’

As the dust settles, Roxy said she has plans to publish several papers based on some of her thesis chapters. But she needs a short break from typing first because “the past four years have been intense”.

For now, she is basking in the celebrations. It’s been a long haul and victory is sweet.

What is her advice to fellow students as they take on this monumental task?

“Find your why; the thing that will help you get through many sleepless nights; the times when giving up seems like the only option. Find something to hold on to, like a mantra that will keep you going and keep moving you forward,” she said. “Did I feel like giving up? Yes! A lot, often, all the time! But I kept reminding myself of the value of contributing to this area of research. The end is in sight, and when you look back, it will all be worth it.”