Surfer Story

An unstoppable teen

Patrick Ivison relies on a wheelchair on land, but in the water, he's a surfer

The first time Patrick Ivison, 14, went surfing, he said, “It felt like flying.”

The blond teenager with the cracking voice and braces has been in a wheelchair most of his life because of a childhood spinal injury. But Patrick's disability hasn't stopped the Scripps Ranch High School freshman from playing sports.

“The first time I went surfing, the guy threw me on his board and took me along for the ride,” Patrick said. “It's gone beyond that to where they're teaching me what to do.”

This year, with help from friends, Patrick achieved his dream of tackling the waves on his own surfboard. His mentor, Robbie Nelson of Happy Barrels Surf School in Encinitas, taught him to use a custom board with foam ridges he can grip with his arms.

That success has motivated Patrick to work even harder at the grueling physical therapy that makes him stronger.

Check out the rest of the story here.