SURF THERAPY

Weekly, Stolk teaches groups of five or six surfers. Among his current crop of surfers is A.D. Sabeh, a Ghanaian who only has one leg.
Mr. Sabeh, who lived some of his teenage years and early 20s in San Francisco, lost his right limb in a nightclub shooting by police in Ghana's capital, Accra.
Standing up on his board, Sabeh balances on one arm for a few seconds before regularly falling off – but he's not giving up.
Sabeh says learning to surf in South Africa was nothing compared with giving up alcohol and drugs. Despite being in and out of rehabilitation centers, he was unable to beat his addictions until he joined Tabankulu 10 months ago.

"I was a bit skeptical about learning to surf, but I've got a good teacher and he's given me the confidence," says Sabeh.
"It takes my mind off drugs and my treatment," he says. "It's given me hope for the future."
Cinic administrators say that surfing offers a new challenge for patients and fills a gap when they might otherwise be tempted to revert to bad habits. "It's about having fun," says Tabankulu director and owner Hugh Robinson. "The biggest task for a recovering addict is finding new enthusiasm for life. Surfing gives that – it gets the juices going, new excitement and passion. Also, when you get out into the sea on your board you realize how large the world is and how small you are."

The call to ride the waves
"[Surfing has] been a 'calling,' " says Stolk. "I love rugby, but you can't beat getting out there into the water. It's physical exercise and if you've been addicted to drugs or alcohol, you're not used to it. A lot of [the patients] think they can't do it, but once they begin to stand up, it fills them with confidence."
"It's easy to say no and go back to drugging and drinking, but learning to surf gives you a real sense of achievement which is important," says Stolk.
"It normally takes four or five times before they start getting up on the board," he says. "You're out there, on the sea with nature. It's excitement and adrenalin.

"I know what it's like when you give something up," Stolk adds. "It was OK for me because I've always surfed. But for those who've always drugged, you need something to fill your gap. It's a good, clean sport and can be addictive!"
Stolk, who is tan and looks remarkably healthy for someone who has spent nearly two-thirds of life addicted to alcohol and drugs, is modest about his success so far. "They all want my cellphone number and I've not had anyone dropping out.

"I seem to gel with them," he says. "They know what I've been through – I'm open about it. I hope they can see that I've given up drugs, and so can they."