Glen Anil surfer hopes to ride wave of success

GLEN Anil adaptive surfer, David Williams is hoping to emulate the success of last year which saw him being crowned the national and provincial champ.

The 34-year-old won the KZN Para-Surfing Championships and SA Para-Surfing Champ in the kneel division.

His impressive performances saw him selected for the SA team to compete at the ISA World Para-Surfing Championships which the team were due to leave in December 2021.

However, that was not to be as the Omicron variant saw several countries impose travel restrictions on South Africa.

“Words can’t describe how shattered the entire national team was when we received the news that we couldn’t travel to the USA. It had been my dream to represent South Africa on an international stage and within days they were shattered,” Williams said.

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That setback was followed by a wonderful gesture from the eThekwini Surfriders Association (ESA) that buoyed the teams’ spirits.

“We had contacted the ESA and asked them if there was any way Team SA could compete at the KZN champs against the able bodied surfers. They were only too keen and for the first time in the history of the KZN champs, we had abled and disabled athletes surfing together which was absolutely epic,” he explained.

“That simple gesture of kindness had a profound impact on me and it made me more determined to win back my spots at this year’s KZN champs and hopefully the SA champs too. I decided to take December off to rest and refocus and start 2022 with a more positive mindset. Now that we have to re-qualify there is an element of pressure in the back of my mind but I’m ready for the challenges that lay ahead,” Williams said.

Since the beginning of the year the local resident has thrown himself into training for the upcoming provincial surf champs.

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“I’ve set myself a number of goals for this year. I want to be better than I was last year, much fitter and stronger. I also know where I need to improve and get fitter and stronger. Having performed so well last year I definitely want to have that feeling of hard work paying off again. I want to represent South Africa. Last year it just naturally happened which led to a massive wow factor. This year I’m determined to get there again. The chance to represent my country would mean the world to me,” he said.