BOULDER, Colo. — The "Brave the Wave" adaptive wake surfing tour surfed through Boulder Reservoir this weekend, hosted by Tommy's Boats and the Hanger Clinic.
The three organizations come together to grant amputees and adaptive athletes the chance of a lifetime: the opportunity to stand on water, when standing on land is hard enough.
"It really is life-changing," Andrea Sherman said. "I went from not being able to walk around Walmart to wake surfing, you know. That was amazing."
Sherman was born with clubbed feet and uses carbon fiber orthotics to brace her knees to her feet, taking the weight off of her ankles. She described the device as "a freedom."
Katy Fetters also took the ride of her life. Fetters was born with cerebral palsy, affecting her hip mobility. While she wasn't able to stand up freely on her own, Fetters hitched a ride on the back of one of the tour professionals.
"I got pretty frustrated," she said. "I think just anytime I'm not good at something like right away, it's pretty easy to get upset with myself."
But Fetters had to remind herself that she is there to inspire others with CP and to always look on the brighter side.
"Even if I didn't hop up on the board and ride for a good while, at least I was out there trying and I think that's good enough for me," she said.
More than being an inspiration for others with disabilities, Fetters and Sherman wanted to leave a message behind for able-bodied people after experiencing what other athletes experience regularly.
"I've always felt like people underestimated me and I always have to kind of prove myself. People can want to do the same things as you and own it," Fetters said.
More importantly, Sherman said, it's about inclusion.
"I think if able-bodied people take an extra second, they can really tell that we're right there with you. We're right up there and we can do the same amount."
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