‘Surf Sisters:’ How Surf Therapy Helps Heal Grief and Loss

In National Geographic’s new short doc series, IMPACT, a six-part doc series that follows the stories of six women who make an impact in their communities across the globe, we are especially drawn to Episode 2, 'Surf Sisters,' which takes place in Half Moon Bay, California. 

Grief and loss are universal feelings. With this past year being quite isolating during the pandemic, that sentiment holds true as most of us move through these emotions. This is especially true for Kelsey, who lost her twin sister Audrey, who was a nurse, to COVID-19 last year. Driven by her two passions: surfing and helping people through their trauma and grief, Kelsey decided to turn the loss of her sister into something that would impact others by helping them with their own healing through surf therapy.

With Kelsey and Audrey growing up with love for surfing and helping others, it seems natural that Kelsey would honor her twin sister through a sport they both shared, and use it to help other women who are suffering. In this episode of the series, support, love and surfing bring a community together to show us how “the ocean embodies an endless abyss that can hold all of us.”

On the topic of healing, one of the surfers comes up with a simple, yet jarring analogy from watching the waves crash against the shore: “I can go there, touch my grief, and it won’t be there forever. It finishes and cycles back.”

Since starting the group, Kelsey has helped over 250 women heal from traumas associated with grief, loss, domestic violence, sexual assault and human trafficking. Watch the full episode here.