TAMMY FRAY
Local para-athlete JP Veaudry has been selected to the South African side set to compete in the World Para Surf Championships in December in the US.
The championships, which are being held from December 4-11 at Pismo Beach in California, are being hosted by the International Surfing Association.
The 2021 championships featured a record 134 para surfers from 24 countries, and this year the goal is to host an even bigger entry.
SA’s team consists of nine male and five female para surfers and six support team members of which Veaudry will be a part as the only Eastern Cape representative.
Vowing to come home with the world title, Veaudry said he was honoured to compete in a world championship and hoped it would inspire more people with disabilities to surf.
Despite losing a leg in a motorbike accident in 2009, he returned to surfing within six months with the use of an artificial leg.
“Surfing is more than a passion, it is rehabilitation, it’s my church and it’s what gets me going every day,” he said.
Veaudry’s goal, which aligns with that of the International Surfing Association, is to use the championships as a stepping stone towards introducing surfing as a sporting code in the 2028 Paralympics.
Earlier this year, Veaudry qualified for the side after winning the South African para surfing championships in Durban.
Despite a bad back injury that kept him out of training for four months earlier this year, he said it had spurred him on to build up his strength again and succeed.
Speaking about the thrill of taking part in the world championships, he said: “It’s always a bit nerve-wracking as there are more than 100 countries participating and thousands of contestants.
“It’s quite a stressful event, the whole world is watching and it’s streamed live.
“The waves are normally small which is stressful for me because I prefer the big waves in East London and the water is usually very cold so all those factors can be challenges.
“I am hoping to come home with the world title because that has been a goal of mine for quite a while now.
