He has won the French title four times. But he became stronger. Friday, November 7, Thomas Da Silva, a 24-year-old Basque, won gold at the ISA (International Surfing Association) Parasurfing World Championships in Oceanside, California. It was a medal that he was really looking forward to, for three years he had been stuck in second place on the competition podium in his Visual 1 (blind) category.
»I gave everything until the last second. This was the culmination of long-term work. When I lost my sight, I would never have told myself that 14 years later, I would be there!», congratulated the young man who had been blind since he was ten years old. Johan also gave me a lot of indications: the moment the wave came, which direction it went, etc. Thanks to his voice, I found myself and knew where to surf. This helped me get the axis right. »
The council, his safety
On his surfboard, Thomas couldn’t see but all his senses remained alert. Hearing and touch are enhanced tenfold. “I listen to the waves to understand my position and I also touch him a lot. At the time of takeoff (when he wakes up, Editor’s Note), this gives me an idea of his height. »
Born in Bayonne, Thomas lost his sight in 2011, following a stroke that caused both optic nerves to atrophy. He discovered surfing five years later, as a teenager, with the Handi Surf association. “The first time I got into the water, the adrenaline and feeling of picking up speed was very strong. I had an epiphany,” recalls the young man who, as a child, had done cycling, motocross and downhill mountain biking.
At the age of 20, after he had a BTS in tourism, Thomas decided to devote himself completely to his passion. Since then, the club member in Biarritz has never let go of his board – or almost – and trains hard between Martinique and the Basque coast. “The ocean is an ideal playground for development. There are no barriers, we are 100% free. I still experienced some fears there. So I redoubled my efforts to shape my body better and progress in freediving. And if I am here today, it is also thanks to other people,” said the athlete who recalls the harsh reality of blindness: “I felt isolated. I had a lot of difficulty making friends and doing physical activities.”
To combat the isolation of young people with the same disabilities as him, Thomas founded The Blind Surfer Association, an organization aimed at promoting surfing among blind teenagers. “I’m a champion, but what makes me happy is letting teenagers forget their troubles for a day.” A true gold surfer.
