Fundraiser going WELL let’s keep at it, please 🙏 Jared Sacks – 2020 World ParaSurfing Championships in California

At the age of 24, after completing his electrical engineering studies, Jared decided to switch careers to marine engineering. After crossing the Atlantic, sail boat only, he ended up in the Caribbean working on boats and gaining experience. In July 2011, whilst berthing in Fort Lauderdale for the hurricane season, Jared was struck down by a car and sustained severe traumatic brain injury.

Jared spent 6 weeks in ICU and 3 months in a brain rehabilitation unit. He then flew home with his mother and the hard work started. This tragedy changed Jared’s life and he now has only 35% vision, severe cognitive and memory impairment and will never be able to work again.

Therapies, training and slowly but surely Jared managed to unscramble his brain sufficiently to walk alone on the beach and go back to his life passion, surfing. After 7 years of hard work he was finally able to go surfing independently and can often be seen, surfing, in his red helmet at his local break, Long Beach, Kommetjie.

Due to the changes in his personality, Jared became lonely and needed to recreate his social life.

In order to meet other challenged surfers and socialise, Jared entered into the 2019 South African Adaptive surfing championships in Durban and to his surprise and everyone else’s, won gold in his division. Jared was subsequently selected to be a part of the South African ParaSurfing team to go to World championships 2020 in California.

Jared has been surfing since a young boy and surfing never left his psyche. Despite impairment, he surfs regularly and has been touted to well in the upcoming championships in March this year.

Your donation will enable Jared to compete. It will also raise awareness that brain damage and mental impairment is a physical disability and needs to be recognized as such. He is hoping to help create a division for brain impairment in the ParaSurfing competition circuit.

Jared cannot do this alone so his costs to go to World Champs are doubled as he needs a constant carer.

We have to raise at least R80000 for the California trip alone and depending on the result of the competition may carry on to more events.

“Thanks to family, friends, doctors, specialists and kindhearted souls. Without your help I would not have come so far. I am now asking all of you for more help. Thank you 🙏