![]() ![]() I only needed that one wave to prove to myself that no one, especially Matthew from Tinder, gets to decide what my limitations are. I had a few moments when I’d get up and that board and fall quickly back into the water, but eventually I had that one right wave and that one incredible moment of standing on that surf board, riding a wave into shore.Īs soon as I was done, I was done. I was the last XMO athlete out in the waters and I wasn’t willing to go in until I got one good ride on a wave done. I wasn’t having an easy time but I was NOT willing to give up. They showed me all the motions on land and it was time to take it to the water! I won’t lie, I swallowed A LOT of salt water, was knocked off my board many times and gained A LOT of respect for pro surfers. I had incredible instructors who supported me and made me feel safe and at ease. ![]() My fantastic Billabong wetsuit went on and I was ready to attempt this sport that, had Matthew from Tinder not told me I could or would never do, I would have never been interested in. the big day had come, time to learn to surf! It was my moment, the reason I had gone to XMO in the first place. You can’t even begin to imagine the excitement I felt when it was time. Having that experience, and so many others from this past week, brought tears to my eyes. On that jet ski, wind blowing through my hair, I just imagined myself driving a car, top down, on the highway. You are always tied to a cane, dog or person. True and total freedom is something that’s hard to find as a blind person. I will never forget the feeling of complete and total freedom I had while driving the jet ski 46 miles per hour. I haven’t been home long but I already miss the Cali lifestyle, palm trees and people. I’ve arrived home from one of the most exhausting and busy, but inspiring and memorable weeks of my life. ![]() I have my stylish Billabong wetsuit ready to go and I can’t wait to teach Matthew from Tinder a lesson! Riding the Waves of Freedom Soon I’ll be water skiing, something I haven’t done in YEARS, as well as wake boarding for the first time, tubing and DRIVING a jet ski! Of course I am so excited, but there is nothing I am more excited for then the day we take our surfing lessons. So far I have enjoyed every moment, the water park, our nearly eight-mile hike and getting to know everyone better along the way. I must say, I felt instantly at home when I met the XMO Games staff and my fellow blind athletes. I felt so relieved when I arrived and someone was there to pick me up and bring Gallop and I to meet the rest of the crew. I generally consider myself a pretty confident and independent person, but when it came to the moment of saying goodbye to my mom and heading off to Simi Valley, California, I was so nervous I nearly broke down in tears. Learn how Molly used Pilates to train for surfing and why she can't leave home without her " hot-pink sassy cane." Read Molly's first impressions from surfing camp in the blog post below: “Nobody gets to decide what my capabilities are based on a disability that they know nothing about,” Molly said in the first of three AMI digital exclusive interviews about her surfing camp trip. AMI This Week's Molly Burke packed her suitcase for surfing camp to prove Matthew from Tinder wrong. ![]()
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