Former South African addict helps others kick the habit – by surfing

Hi !, my name is Leonard John Stolk and I am alcoholic, addict in recovery.

I have abused drugs and alcohol for 30 of my 53 years, thankfully I have always had surfing in my life. I have been clean and sober for the last 7-8 years, and being a surfer I have always found serenity and peace through riding the waves. Even during my addiction times surfing was my salvation.

My aim is to offer surf lessons as a means to recovery. Being in recovery myself I know how hard it is to find things to do to take up all that extra spare time that we abused during our various addictions.hey've ridden the high and lows of addiction and now a group of recovering addicts is learning to surf the waves as an unlikely part of their rehabilitation program.

They looked like any other surf school, gradually conquering the waves at Muizenberg. But the six blue-shirted longboarders from LJ’sSurf Clinic were gaining strength from the ocean to defeat other, deadlier, demons. They are participants in a surfing programme run in conjunction with Tabankulu rehabilitation centre in Capri Village, Cape Town. The centre treats people with drug addictions and also behavioural problems such as eating disorders. Some had come from as far away as Ghana, Ukraine and Britain to take part in the live-in treatment programme.

LEONARD STOLK
Founder of the Surf Clinic, Leonard Stolk prepares for a lesson at Muizenberg Beach, Cape Town, South Afica. The clinic is run weekly.

ALL IN A DAYS WORK
A. D. Sabeh, 36, a Ghanaian drink and drug addict who lost his right leg in a police shooting six years ago and had started taking drugs at 13. Says.. “Surfing takes my mind off drugs and my treatment.”