How adaptive surfing has changed Bailey's life
Bailey’s life was radically changed when he was struck down by a car while riding his bicycle at just 15 years of age.
It caused a range of functional, mobility, cognitive and communication impairments, which means he requires help with all self-care activities. He is mostly non-verbal and communicates through electronic equipment.
But in the surf, he finds freedom.
“We paddle him out to the waves and push him in, and once he’s on a wave he’s all on his own and he figures it out and he shreds,” James Gissing from Good Surf, which aims to get people with disabilities to learn to surf, recently told the ABC.
It has been just two years since Bailey began adaptive surfing and the 19 year old is now competing on the world stage. He recently competed in Adaptive Surfing Championship events held in Byron Bay – the scene of Australia’s first international adaptive surfing contest – followed by events in Hawaii and California.
“Byron was his first comp,” James recently said.
“He’d only been able to go solo a few months before that competition. He was previously fed through a tube in his stomach which meant he couldn’t actually surf on his own, prone. But he’s come ahead leaps and bounds since then.”
The event in Hawaii hosted 104 athletes from 19 countries and awarded $US30,000 in prize money.
James and Bailey, as well as the adaptive surfing community, are campaigning to get the sport into the LA Olympics in 2028. It was surprisingly excluded, largely due to cost factors.
A petition to include the sport has so far attracted more than 27,000 signatures, including from surfing champions Pauline Menczer and Kelly Slater.
NSW-based insurer iCare funds the majority of Bailey’s care, including his equipment, as well as some of his adaptive surfing activities. iCare recently paid for three carers, flights and other expenses so Bailey could compete in the US.
Equity Trustees manages a separate pool of funds that Bailey received through a personal injury claim.
“We're appointed to ensure that the funds last his lifetime,” says Equity Trustees national manager health and personal injury, Katrina Harper.
“We work with his family to understand what financial needs he has from these funds. They can be regular payments for day-to-day household expenses such as groceries and so on.”
Equity Trustees currently manages around $370 million on behalf of 1,200 clients who are under a legal disability. The broader company also offers a wide range of interrelated services, managing more than $40 billion in total on behalf of corporate and private clients.
You can sign the petition to include adaptive surfing in the LA Olympics at: https://chng.it/phQd9xphSR.
It caused a range of functional, mobility, cognitive and communication impairments, which means he requires help with all self-care activities. He is mostly non-verbal and communicates through electronic equipment.
But in the surf, he finds freedom.
“We paddle him out to the waves and push him in, and once he’s on a wave he’s all on his own and he figures it out and he shreds,” James Gissing from Good Surf, which aims to get people with disabilities to learn to surf, recently told the ABC.
It has been just two years since Bailey began adaptive surfing and the 19 year old is now competing on the world stage. He recently competed in Adaptive Surfing Championship events held in Byron Bay – the scene of Australia’s first international adaptive surfing contest – followed by events in Hawaii and California.
“Byron was his first comp,” James recently said.
“He’d only been able to go solo a few months before that competition. He was previously fed through a tube in his stomach which meant he couldn’t actually surf on his own, prone. But he’s come ahead leaps and bounds since then.”
The event in Hawaii hosted 104 athletes from 19 countries and awarded $US30,000 in prize money.
James and Bailey, as well as the adaptive surfing community, are campaigning to get the sport into the LA Olympics in 2028. It was surprisingly excluded, largely due to cost factors.
A petition to include the sport has so far attracted more than 27,000 signatures, including from surfing champions Pauline Menczer and Kelly Slater.
NSW-based insurer iCare funds the majority of Bailey’s care, including his equipment, as well as some of his adaptive surfing activities. iCare recently paid for three carers, flights and other expenses so Bailey could compete in the US.
Equity Trustees manages a separate pool of funds that Bailey received through a personal injury claim.
“We're appointed to ensure that the funds last his lifetime,” says Equity Trustees national manager health and personal injury, Katrina Harper.
“We work with his family to understand what financial needs he has from these funds. They can be regular payments for day-to-day household expenses such as groceries and so on.”
Equity Trustees currently manages around $370 million on behalf of 1,200 clients who are under a legal disability. The broader company also offers a wide range of interrelated services, managing more than $40 billion in total on behalf of corporate and private clients.
You can sign the petition to include adaptive surfing in the LA Olympics at: https://chng.it/phQd9xphSR.
Last updated: 10 February 2025