It’s not Over
Meet William, originally from Cape Town, he recently moved to the beautiful coastal gem, Mossel bay, in South Africa. William is just a regular guy, living a relatively simple life, but he is someone who loves passionately through simple acts of kindness, creating a movement, crossing borders and bringing oceans of people together in a phenomenally complicated world through surfing.
"Joy is in giving, serving and helping others. The wonderful thing is you think you go to help the kids, but don’t expect how much they are inspiring and teaching you at a soul-level and doing something inside of you that you won’t get anywhere else."
"What would your advice be to someone overwhelmed or lost in their circumstances to get moving, and to use what they have been given?"
"Watching and working with these kids has taught me to be grateful. When you find yourself in a dark place, the odds are stacked too high…remember that you have so much to be thankful for. Walking on Waves is about the kids, their brave hearts and their little smiles is testament to the strength of the human spirit and it is evident from a young age. When you work with the kids and you know their backgrounds and their faces lighting up the way it does…it is so encouraging no matter what you are facing no matter how hard you think it is.
"I came up here in June, by faith, I was planning to move to Mossel bay, but I was not sure, so one morning I sat on the beach listening to music, thinking about it. This elderly gentleman came out of the water. He was swimming in black shorts and the water was really, really cold, it was in May and I remember thinking, ...are you nuts?! The water is sooo cold… He came up to me and said something, but listening to music I couldn’t hear him so I took my earphones out and asked. 'Do you mind repeating what you said?' And he says “We need more people sent from heaven to help people in the sea.” God answered me in His own way.
Meet William, originally from Cape Town, he recently moved to the beautiful coastal gem, Mossel bay, in South Africa. William is just a regular guy, living a relatively simple life, but he is someone who loves passionately through simple acts of kindness, creating a movement, crossing borders and bringing oceans of people together in a phenomenally complicated world through surfing.
What inspired William to start Walking on Waves?
He moved to Muizenberg in 2012 and has always been involved in commercial surfing, but in 2014 he had a desire to do something that would benefit the community in a different way. There was a need. People in his line of work were focused on commercial surfing and helping the underprivileged through surfing, which is great, but what about everybody else? What about trauma victims or kids whose parents were going through a hectic divorce? Someone who is suicidal or depressed? Just helping someone who is in a dark space in their life…just trying to help them get through it. This is where the tiny sparks started flickering and ‘Walking on Waves’ was soon set alight. In his own words he says, "My life is simple and I love what I do, I make my living giving surf lessons and fixing surf boards (Surf Toyz in Marsh Street, Mossel bay) I also work night shifts at a Backpackers and they provide me with accommodation."
"I have a passion and a natural love for kids and have always enjoyed working, playing and having fun with them. This is a new door that opened up for me, I really didn’t see it coming…I don’t believe anything happens purely by coincidence. In June 2015 I was looking through YouTube videos. I just typed in: ‘’inspirational surfing videos’’ and stumbled across an organization in the states that works with special needs kids and terminally ill children, with limited life expectancy, but what they do for these kids through the ocean was so inspiring. Their faces lighting up with so much joy… I literally had a lump in my throat. I remember calling a friend and saying, you have to come and have a look at this, this is really amazing…what these guys are doing. Three months later a mom approached me in Muizenberg regarding her 19 year old son who had cerebral palsy, epilepsy and was being treated for a brain tumor. She asked me if I could possibly get her son into the ocean. I had never been involved with anything like this before. I am used to taking kids into the ocean, able-bodied children.
I immediately said yes and arranged some volunteer friends to help…"
"We took him out into the ocean and this boy’s face just lit up! The response was great, it left a personal imprint inside me…that there must be a way to reach out to these kids on a more ongoing permanent basis in such a way that it is always out of giving and always out of love. Never a cost incurred for the families, for the schools or hospitals or organizations. Everyone that gets involved, photographers, volunteers, caterers, whoever helps out understands that it is purely out of giving and out of love just to see this child smile and be happy."
I immediately said yes and arranged some volunteer friends to help…"
"We took him out into the ocean and this boy’s face just lit up! The response was great, it left a personal imprint inside me…that there must be a way to reach out to these kids on a more ongoing permanent basis in such a way that it is always out of giving and always out of love. Never a cost incurred for the families, for the schools or hospitals or organizations. Everyone that gets involved, photographers, volunteers, caterers, whoever helps out understands that it is purely out of giving and out of love just to see this child smile and be happy."
"Just to feel free from all their aches, pains and regular routines and challenges they live with on a daily basis and then also getting their families involved and down to the beach, especially the carers. They have a lot of stress that they live with, taking care of a special needs child, is phenomenal. Not many people are aware of the stress that these parents face…what it brings into a home and into a marriage…One of the school’s here, out of 36 kids only 3 still have a mom and a dad and a home that is not broken. So just to have them come down to the beach, be happy and smile, forget about their worries for a while, that’s what it’ is all about."
William explains, "Walking on waves is not me. It is a dream and a vision that I have been given. The dream is to get communities and people involved in different sectors of life. To really reach out. It is an initiative that people from all walks of life can get involved in."
"It is a movement that reaches out, bringing people together.
It’s about the kids.
Their smiles and their happiness, just being there for them.
To help THEM. Being LOVE and KINDNESS in action.
It is a simple concept, but something that is missing in this world."
"People seldom do things anymore without expecting anything in return. We’ve been told, straight out, by some that they don’t want to get involved because there’s no money to be made in it. Well if that is the motive then you’re not doing it for the right reasons. Rather give me a homeless guy on the street, someone who wants to give of his time to help, giving out of the abundance and the love of his heart. He is of more worth to this cause."
"Joy is in giving, serving and helping others. The wonderful thing is you think you go to help the kids, but don’t expect how much they are inspiring and teaching you at a soul-level and doing something inside of you that you won’t get anywhere else."
"What would your advice be to someone overwhelmed or lost in their circumstances to get moving, and to use what they have been given?"
"Watching and working with these kids has taught me to be grateful. When you find yourself in a dark place, the odds are stacked too high…remember that you have so much to be thankful for. Walking on Waves is about the kids, their brave hearts and their little smiles is testament to the strength of the human spirit and it is evident from a young age. When you work with the kids and you know their backgrounds and their faces lighting up the way it does…it is so encouraging no matter what you are facing no matter how hard you think it is.
It's not over."
"You can enjoy life and live it to the full. You can be happy! It’s a message of love and hope to reach out to others around you, and to be grateful for what you have. You cannot manufacture God’s love. It comes from a place deep down inside and you will only feel it if He lives inside you."
"You can enjoy life and live it to the full. You can be happy! It’s a message of love and hope to reach out to others around you, and to be grateful for what you have. You cannot manufacture God’s love. It comes from a place deep down inside and you will only feel it if He lives inside you."
"I came up here in June, by faith, I was planning to move to Mossel bay, but I was not sure, so one morning I sat on the beach listening to music, thinking about it. This elderly gentleman came out of the water. He was swimming in black shorts and the water was really, really cold, it was in May and I remember thinking, ...are you nuts?! The water is sooo cold… He came up to me and said something, but listening to music I couldn’t hear him so I took my earphones out and asked. 'Do you mind repeating what you said?' And he says “We need more people sent from heaven to help people in the sea.” God answered me in His own way.
How can people get involved?
Walking on Waves is a means to express God’s love in a practical way. These brave heroes remind us to be thankful and to not give up. You remember their faces and laughter. Even if they pass on, this message they leave behind, through their faces and their joy is life altering.
On the 21st of October Walking on Waves is planning a fun day for an 8 year old boy who has been paralyzed due to an accident when he was 15 months old. People from all walks of life can get involved in this event. Especially volunteers in the sea, prepared to give of their time. Openhearted open-minded volunteers, who don’t need to know how to surf. Just show up and be love!
Here is a Youtube Video capturing some of these experiences, to see it follow the link: Walking on Waves on Youtube.
To Follow or Contact William,
use the following links
or email: william.walkingonwaves@gmail.com
To everyone who's hit their limit, enjoy this song by
'for King and Country' -
"It's not Over Yet" CLICK HERE
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