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Derek Rabelo was always meant to be a surfer. When his mother was pregnant with him, his dad prayed for him to be a professional surfer when he grew up. That way, he would share his love for this sport with him and his two uncles who were professional surfers. In an act of manifestation, he even named him after Derek Ho, the first Hawaiian world surfing champion. In a twist of fate, Rabelo was born blind. Even so, he has never considered this to be an obstacle in his quest to conquering the waves. Today, he’s a talented surfer.
Hailing from Guarapari, Brazil, Rabelo was officially diagnosed with congenital glaucoma at birth. And while he underwent four operations in his childhood, he couldn’t recover any of his eyesight. Despite this setback, he never gave up. “Surfing is in my blood, I always wanted to surf,” Rabelo told Australian reporters in 2015. “Everybody feels frustrated sometimes. I never stopped to listen to the things that will not help me.”
At age 17, his dad gave him a surfboard and his first lessons. “I remember my first time, my father brought me to the beach and he pushed me over a couple of waves, and I was trying to stand up but I couldn’t, it was hard. But I kept going for a couple of waves later, it was the best feeling, I love it. I wanted to feel like this forever,” Rabelo said. His father also enrolled him in a surfing course. He had the chance to practice with his friends, who considered him a regular surfer just like them.
While many surfers wouldn’t dare go into the ocean without being able to see, Rabelo stepped up to the challenge and developed a unique technique. “I listen to the ocean and feel it,” he told Bored Panda. “And every single part of a wave makes different noises. So, I can decide which side of the wave I should surf towards.” He then determines his position by making sense of the the sounds of the water around him, and touching the wave allows him to figure out its dynamics.
Now, at age 34, Rabelo continues to improve his technique, defying the waves in both pools and oceans, sometimes aided by a friend or by himself, but always displaying determination and confidence. He also travels the world to spread a message of diversity and inclusion.
“What many see as a difference may actually be a new way of seeing the world,” he said on Instagram. “Diversity gains strength when we understand that each person carries unique stories and perspectives—and it is this exchange that makes teams and communities stronger.” He also hopes that one day, surf will become a Paralympic sport, and he will get a change to compete.
To stay up to date with the surfer, follow Derek Rabelo on Instagram.
Derek Rabelo is a Brazilian surfer who was born blind.
Ver esta publicación en Instagram
Despite his disability, he has never allowed his blindness to stop him from conquering the waves.
Ver esta publicación en Instagram
At age 17, Rabelo’s dad gave him a surfboard and his first lessons.
Ver esta publicación en Instagram
While many surfers wouldn’t dare go into the ocean without being able to see, Rabelo was up for the challenge and developed a unique technique.
Ver esta publicación en Instagram
“I listen to the ocean and feel it. And every single part of a wave makes different noises. So, I can decide which side of the wave I should surf towards.”
Ver esta publicación en Instagram
Now, at age 34, Rabelo continues to improve his technique, defying the waves and traveling the world to spread a message of inclusion.
Ver esta publicación en Instagram
Derek Rabelo: Website | Instagram
Sources: Blind Brazilian surfer Derek Rabelo conquers Pipeline and aims for the heavens; How blind surfer Derek Rabelo is living his dream; This Blind Guy Became A Professional Surfer Using An Unusual Technique
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