Surfer says being in the water helped stroke recovery
Image CabinA surfer has praised the power of being in the water after recovering from a stroke.
Nick Hounsfield lost the ability to talk, read and write after he suffered a stroke while playing hockey in 2020 at the age of 46.
"After about five minutes, I knew I wasn't quite right, something kind of strange was going on," he said. "Terror washed over me."
He has since made a full recovery, something he said was in part thanks to making a return to surfing six months after his stroke. "Once I got in the water, it was like it was clearing my mind," he said.
"Why was my speech coming back so much better, being in the water?"
Hounsfield, who founded the inland surfing lake The Wave, has now written a book with Abby Richardson titled Do Blue: Water, waves and wellbeing, which examines how watersports can help people.
"For me, post-stroke, water was incredibly important," Hounsfield said. "The more times I was getting in the water, the better I was getting, above any other medication or therapy I was getting."
Matt PorteousHounsfield said he was still working through the mental impact of a stroke six years later.
"The feeling of mortality has had a real hit," he said. "And, could it happen again?"
"You've got to take each day at a time and just be happy to be there."
Hounsfield and Richardson were inspired to write their book after talking about how beneficial he found the water. They have since collected stories from people in Bristol who had similar experiences.
Richardson said: "We were seeing it right from the early days of The Wave, how people improved being around water. Particularly after Nick's stroke, we became fascinated with the impact water was having.
"It's the huge endorphin rush you get in the cold water. You have to concentrate on breathing. You are fully in that moment, it's a wonderful reset you don't often get."
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