UNIQUE PADDLE BOARD PROGRAM for SPECIAL NEEDS ATHELTES

zzz - Lorea Thomson
| Realtor
Updated on
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Published in South Florida Cities

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Photo courtesy of Lori Griffith/special to the Courier Weekly.

A swim coach for people with special needs named Megan Varner, was searching for a paddleboard company to sponsor her team.  She currently has a program for swimmers with Down’s Syndrome, Autism, and other disabilities. Her students have competed at the State level, National level, and in the World Special Olympics!

Varner met with Blueline Paddle Surf located in Jupiter’s “Funky Fishing Village”.   Alex Cotleur and Kim Depasquale, of Blueline, had done “a little bit of work with Surfers for Autism and it was such an incredible experience that we wanted to emulate that in the paddle community.”  It was a match made in heaven. Together they devised a paddle board program.

Depasquale and Cotleur went to Key West to be trained by SUP coaches for people with special needs. The instructor of the course is a former Jupiter resident who is a special needs educator, and instrumental in bringing the sport of paddle boarding to the Special Olympics in Florida and the United States.

This group of amazing paddlers, “The Jupiter Paddlers” (as they call themselves), meet each Monday for a few hours of instruction.  Witness all the smiles, and eager students, as the instructors assist and guide with verbal and non-verbal instruction. The program is a huge success due to the dedication of Varner, Cotleur, Depasquale, and the volunteers Ashley, Matt, Cayla, and Malika!  Keep smiling…amazing people!

For more information please contact Varner at megvarner@aol.com.

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