'I'm not in the past, I'm in the present.' This week in Santa Cruz, military veterans are learning about the healing ways of water through a program known as Operation Surf.
Military veterans are learning about the healing ways of water through a Santa Cruz program known as Operation Surf.This week in Santa Cruz, military veterans are learning about the healing ways of water through a program known as Operation Surf.But waves are bringing them to exactly where they want to be.
"The ocean, you have to be present - completely mindful," Volunteer Benjamin Albracht said. "I'm here. I'm not back in the Middle East. I'm not in the past, I'm in the present."The week-long program has brought vets to the Santa Cruz Coast for more than a decade.It builds a supportive community through the healing powers of the ocean.
"I definitely felt like I was unique, the problems that I had, I was the only one experiencing them," Abracht said. "And Operation Surf allowed me to connect with other combat veterans and people who have gone through the exact same things that I have."Van Curaza suffered from addiction. Surfing helped save his life and created a way for him to find the positives.
"Where do you think you'd be without this program?" ABC7 News South Bay Reporter Dustin Dorsey asked. "Honestly, I don't know," Volunteer Josh Ryan said. "I'd be metaphorically somewhere lost at sea. Each wave brings them a little more closer and closer back to their family, back to their community with the love and support. There's a lot of connecting moments here. We all have our highs and our lows - the high tides and the low tides. But when you rise and fall together, you're not alone.
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