Chasing Waves and Breaking Barriers: A Q&A with Surfer Damian Richter
The following is a Q&A conducted with Damian Richter, an undergraduate student at Florida Atlantic University. Richter is 21 years old and from Deerfield Beach, Florida. He actively engages in various clubs and organizations, including the Community Service Club, Alpha Psi Omega Theatre Fraternity, and FAU Film Stop. However, perhaps more notably, Richter is an avid member of the FAU Surf Club.
Image Courtesy: Alice Olesiya Runkevich
Q: Can you share what initially sparked your interest in surfing?
Damian Richter: “It started when I was five years old. I surf for autism. I have autism, and I was the first kid that ever took in the water on a surfboard. It’s really fun to ride down to the shore, which was really fun. That’s when my mom discovered that surfing could help me with my autism.”
Q: How does surfing contribute to your overall well-being?
DR: “Because it gives me self-confidence and an identity as a surfer.”
Q: What was it about surfing that drew you to it? Was it the water? Was it the board?
DR: “I was excited about the water and the board.”
Q: How does it feel when you’re on the board? Can you explain the emotions or your thought process?
DR: “It feels surprising and happy and feels like I'm going flying like Superman or something.”
Q: Do you ever get scared?
DR: “Ehhh…not unless the waves get rough.”
Q: What’s your favorite surfing spot?
DR: “My favorite surfing spot…I have to go with Jupiter Beach because it has better waves.”
Q: Where have you surfed besides Florida? Are there any cool places?
DR: “Well, no, not really. We went to Tybee, Georgia, two times, probably. And we went to Puerto Rico one time. [Also] Cocoa Beach, because it has better waves.”
Image Courtesy: Alice Olesiya Runkevich
Q: What inspired you to start a YouTube channel about surfing for autism awareness?
DR: “My YouTube channel is Surfing Waves of Autism with Damian. It talks about motivational minutes, learning life lessons, and trying new things that other kids with autism can do. Like me.”
Q: What is your favorite video you have done on your YouTube channel?
DR: “Motivational minutes; I talk about lifestyle and my experience.”
Q: What do you want to do when you’re older?
DR: “I want to be an actor.”
Q: What kind of actor would you like to be?
DR: “I can do comedy and drama, like being in a play or a movie.”
Q: Would you want to be in a surfer movie?
DR: “Yes, one day I would.”
Q: What’s your favorite surfing movie?
DR: “I have to go with Soul Surfer.”
Image Courtsy: Alice Olesiya Runkevich
Q: How often do you surf when you’re not competing?
DR: “Once a while, you know, I always get some surfing in at Surfers for Autism for some events during lunchtime. But now, I just volunteer there to help out some kids learn to surf. So even though I started volunteering to help the registrations in the tent, and then I started volunteering in the water.”
Q: How often are these events?
DR: “Once a month.”
Q: What are your future goals for Surfers for Autism?
DR: “My future goal is I would like to run the events one day. I also gave speeches every morning to all of the family and friends, so before we start the event, you know, it’s really cool making speeches.”
Q: Do you have any insight from those speeches you could share with us or anything you remember you might have said in one of your speeches?
DR: “I like to talk to them about how we can get on the surfboard easy. Okay. You know, for some kids with autism, they cannot stand on that. But they can sit or lay down whatever they want if they don’t have the strength to stand up like me. But I can stand on the surfboard because I've grown to it.”
Q: Who is your biggest inspiration in life?
DR: “Inspiration? Well, there are a lot of great surfers like Bethany Hamilton and Kelly Slater, and Jay [Moriarity], you know, from that movie Chasing Mavericks.”
Q: Have you met Bethany Hamilton?
DR: “I met Bethany Hamilton probably back around March 2016. At that, what, that surfing store in Fort Lauderdale, you know? She was really happy to see [me], and that's a part of why I'm a big fan of hers. She signed an autograph, and I gave her a Surfers for Autism bracelet.”
Q: Can you tell me about what you guys talked about? Or was it just an autograph?
DR: “Just talked about Surfers for autism and other kids with autism surfing, and I didn’t tell her about her arm though, because I don’t want it, so I don’t want to make her feel bad. Yeah, but I was just being polite and how she’s doing and how she’s good at surfing with one arm.”
Image Courtesy: Alice Olesiya Runkevich
Q: Are there any lessons or experiences from your journey that you’d like to share with others?
DR: “ I would like to share experiences with someone who has autism and tell them how I can inspire them and communicate and give support.”
Q: What advice would you give someone who wants to start surfing?
DR: “To be a better surfer, have confidence and just breathe and all the emotions and calm down all your bad senses.”
Q: Do you think confidence plays a big part in it? Because if you’re scared, then you might mess up. Or how do you feel about that?
DR: “I feel I get frustrated sometimes. But I have to, you know, just relax and try to get back up. I wouldn’t say never because I would never give up like that.”
Q: What’s your motto?
DR: “My motto is that autism will never stop me.”
Image Courtesy: Alice Olesiya Runkevich
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