Surfing For My Soul
Alulutho, South Africa
Made For More aims to include, empower and equip people with disabilities through sport, with a mission to break the stigma of those living physical, intellectual and social disabilities. Their programme focuses specifically on inclusion and using sport as a transformational tool for persons with disabilities. Alulutho is part of the Made For More Para Surfing programme, a highly competitive training session for elite athletes wanting to make the South African Para Surfing Team.
My name is Alulutho, also known as Lulu. I am from Clermont in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), South Africa, and I am 16 years old. I have been a member of Made For More (MFM) since October 2017. I am an Adaptive Surfer. I compete in Division 2 of Women’s Prone assisted surfing.
In 2017 I was fortunate to meet with the Director of Made For More, Julia Van Zyl, at the Wentworth Wellness Centre. She invited me to a surfing session at Marine Surf Lifesaving Club at Addington Beach. That is when I started surfing. I was welcomed with love on the first day and I was extremely excited.
My first competition was the KZN Adaptive Surfing Championships in 2020 and I came in last position because I was just doing it for fun. After that, I realised that this sport is not only for fun, I must also play and train hard. That is when I entered the South Africa Adaptive Surfing Championships in 2021 and I won the tournament.
I was selected to represent South Africa in California, USA. I was extremely disappointed when we were not able to travel due to the pandemic, because I was determined to return with a medal. In April 2022, I entered KZN Adaptive Surfing Champs and came in second place. In July 2022 at the South Africa Adaptive Surfing Championships I came first in my division again. I am the current champion of the Women's Prone 2 Division.
What did you try to capture with the photos? Was there a wider meaning?
The photos were taken near where I live and at Addington Beach in Durban, South Africa. I wanted to show people in the Adaptive Surfing team. Some are surfers, others are volunteers and coaches. Family and friends were also watching coaches and volunteers train surfers.
I was trying to show my community and what experiences I have as part of the surf team. I love this sport with all my heart. It makes me feel special and always happy in my soul. This sport took me to a new level and gave me hope for my life. With this sport I have dreams of going far and becoming a famous celebrity in the world.
My favourite photo is of our team during the Adaptive Surf session when we were training. These sessions helped me become more determined and self-confident.
You can also see my mother and my coach. My mother is very important to me because she is always with me, she supports me all the time, and she is everything to me. My coach is also very important in my life. He is loving and patient, he motivates me all the time. I am where I am because of him and I believe I will go far with my sport because of my coach.
What role does surfing play in your community and South African society? Is surfing an inclusive sport that anyone can do?
Surfing is something that most people do not know about, and it is mostly ignored in our society. Surfing is a sport that can be played by everyone if it is well taught and you are determined to learn.
What are the opportunities for women and girls to participate in sports and activities in your community and in South Africa?
Women and girls need to stand together and take whatever opportunities come their way. We owe it to ourselves to do things that will open doors to good opportunities for the benefit of all.
What impact has the Made For More program had on you and your community?
Made For More has had a massive impact on me by giving me back the belief that no matter who you are or what you look like, you can do things that ordinary people do not believe we can do. Things that we think will never happen in life can happen. Many people in my community want the opportunity to be part of Made For More because they see its excellent work in caring for people with disabilities through sports, and how they bring hope back to their lives.
What does surfing mean to you? What ambitions do you have for the future?
Surfing means a lot because it has suddenly put me at a prominent level. Today I am the best girl in my country, and I recently made the South African team and represented my country at the 2022 World Para Surfing Championship in California in December 2022. The desire I have for my future is to see myself as a world famous young woman representing her country.
What do you think the future looks like for sport in your community and country? What do you want to change? How would you improve gender equality?
Personally, it is going very well because people with disabilities have been included in all the sports played in South Africa at a national level. It is in our communities where it is still difficult because of the facilities and resources available and not doing things as a community. There is only football, netball, and running available to most people with disabilities, but not many opportunities to surf.
The things I would like to change in our communities would be to include people with disabilities in everything they do. One of the easiest ways to promote equality is to support each other and create a feeling of unity and appreciation.
