‘It gave me a purpose’: Surf therapy transforms lives in South Africa | Mental Health

Cape Town, South Africa – It’s a Monday morning and a dozen teenagers from a school for students with autism and related conditions have arrived for their weekly surf therapy session.

Shrieking with glee, one girl envelops her coach in a bear hug. Others are less demonstrative, but the joy on their faces is palpable.

After trading their school uniforms for wetsuits, the students gather on Cape Town’s Muizenberg Beach. A gentle offshore breeze is blowing, and neat rows of waves stack up invitingly towards Cape Point. But before the budding surfers get near the water, they must do a…