{"id":252605,"date":"2018-01-12T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2018-01-12T08:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sdnews.com\/heart-of-a-champion\/"},"modified":"2018-01-12T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2018-01-12T08:00:00","slug":"heart-of-a-champion","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/test.sdnews.com\/es\/heart-of-a-champion\/","title":{"rendered":"Heart of a champion"},"content":{"rendered":"

North Park amputee is a winner in adaptive surfing<\/strong><\/p>\n

Por Luc\u00eda Viti<\/p>\n

North Park is paying homage to a gold medal-winning resident, Dani Burt, recently crowned the female champion at the International Surfing Association\u2019s (ISA) World Adaptive Surf Championships.<\/p>\n

Burt stole the show at the competition\u2019s maiden voyage in its first all-female final. Winning, however, is nothing new for the above-the-knee amputee. Burt has competed in adaptive surfing championships against men for years, simply because there were \u201cno female adaptive surfers to compete against.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Heart
Dani Burt of North Park is the reigning female champion of the International Surfing Association\u2019s World Adaptive Surf Championships. (Photo by Chris Grant)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The fall 2017 hallmark event, hosted at La Jolla Shores, catapulted Burt into a groundbreaking legacy. Burt won the AS2 female division, placed seventh in the AS2 mixed-gender division, and finished third in Team USA. Pride and humility go hand in hand for this champion.<\/p>\n

\u201cWinning gold symbolizes how far I\u2019ve come,\u201d said Burt, who has a Ph.D. in physical therapy. \u201cI\u2019m grateful for this life. I\u2019m proud and honored to have surfed with women from around the world. Coming out of the final, cheered by those who believe in me, was beyond words. My goal is to ensure equal opportunity for female para surfers in a male-dominated industry.\u201d<\/p>\n

Life-changing ride<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Para surfing earmarks a journey for Burt that began during a Sunday afternoon motorcycle ride. Fourteen years ago, while riding with friends, the then-19-year-old rounded what she assumed to be a wide turn. There was no signage to indicate otherwise. Unable to \u201clay it down quickly,\u201d the narrow curve caused her to crash into a guardrail. She blacked out. Unconscious, Burt soared 65 feet down a 400-foot mountain.<\/p>\n

The impact of landing \u201cwoke\u201d her up. Fellow riders \u201creacted quickly.\u201d A nurse serendipitously driving by also came to her aid. An ambulance rushed her to Palomar Medical Center.<\/p>\n

Burt coded twice during her first 12-hour surgery. Injuries included broken ribs, a broken neck at c6, a broken left humerus, collapsed lungs and an injured right leg. She \u201cacquired\u201d a mild brain injury during the procedure. Placed into a drug-induced coma for five weeks, she developed acute respiratory distress syndrome causing her to begin \u201cdrowning in my lungs.\u201d As her body fought ferociously to protect its broken carcass, Burt developed gangrene in her right knee. As such, \u201cmy body worked to fix my legs instead of my lungs.\u201d Doctors decided to amputate her right leg above the knee to save her life and \u201ctake me out of my coma.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bouncing back \u201csuper quick,\u201d Burt was transferred to Sharp Memorial Rehabilitation Center, facing \u201clife in a whole new world that was hard to put into words.\u201d The New Jersey native said she had fled to San Diego to \u201cescape\u201d an unstable and troubled childhood. Now, a life of independence gave way to a life of dependence based on a choice \u201cI never made.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe doctors chose to save my life,\u201d Burt explained. \u201cAnd I had to choose between giving up or putting in 100 percent. It wasn\u2019t easy. Because I was in a coma for five weeks, I lacked strength. I couldn\u2019t sit up. I couldn\u2019t even talk. My leg was missing. I was now an amputee. I never even knew an amputee. I was depressed, angry. I had no choice in the amputation. Everything changed. Everything you do changes. Society looks at you differently. But because I never believed in giving up, I decided to give it my all and move forward.\u201d<\/p>\n

Burt had to \u201clearn\u201d how to ask for help. Vulnerable but determined, she created a support system that included a therapist to get her \u201cmental game on track.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI knew that I had to talk to someone or I\u2019d be in trouble,\u201d she said. \u201cLosing a limb was a lot for a young person to deal with.\u201d<\/p>\n

Within the year of learning how to walk again, Burt was skateboarding and snowboarding. The ocean beckoned \u2014 but a decade ago, surfing prosthetics didn\u2019t exist because \u201camputees were not yet participating in action sports.\u201d Determined, she made a new prosthetic surfing leg from old prosthetic parts. Touting wave knowledge, athletic balance and a surf board, Burt \u201cfound her sanity.\u201d<\/p>\n

With a lack of formal adaptive surfing competitions, \u201cjust expression sessions,\u201d Burt competed sporadically. Surfing was sidelined while she pursued a doctorate in physical therapy \u2014 one class at a time \u2014 admitting that the accident served as her impetus.<\/p>\n

\u201cI had no idea what a physical therapist was before I had a whole bunch of them,\u201d she said. \u201cAnd I loved everyone. Physical therapy gave me back my independence. And my independence gave me strength.\u201d<\/p>\n

Helping other amputees<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Today, Burt works in acute care physical therapy with new amputees at Sharp Memorial Hospital. Describing her work as \u201cimpactful,\u201d she reminisced, \u201cI wished I had someone who could\u2019ve paved the road for placing my thoughts in a better spot. The visibility of being an amputee to other amputees offers insight. They see what they can do by seeing what you do.\u201d<\/p>\n

Patients are often surprised to discover that Burt\u2019s an amputee. Donning scrubs that hide her prosthetic leg, \u201csuper-upset\u201d patients become \u201cstoked\u201d and \u201ccomforted\u201d to \u201ctalk to someone who really knows how it feels.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLosing a limb makes you feel like you\u2019re done,\u201d she said. \u201cLife\u2019s never the same. What you\u2019re used to is gone. You think there\u2019s no more going above and beyond. But when I show an amputee a picture or video of someone actually doing something they thought they couldn\u2019t, it gives them hope. Visibility encourages and gives patients an opportunity to excel.\u201d<\/p>\n

Giving back is Burt\u2019s reward.<\/p>\n

\u201cI pay it forward,\u201d she continued. \u201cIt\u2019s such a great feeling to impart knowledge that moves patients forward as quickly as possible. I\u2019ve been helped so much. It\u2019s an overwhelming feeling to give back.\u201d<\/p>\n

While Burt admits that surfing is daunting, she enjoys \u201clarge, challenging surf.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCompetition\u2019s made me stronger and more capable,\u201d she said. \u201cThere aren\u2019t many situations that make me nervous.\u201d<\/p>\n

No longer vulnerable, she\u2019s happy to train, encourage and share her knowledge.<\/p>\n

\u201cSurfing\u2019s a passion that\u2019s enabled me to put the ghosts of my past to rest,\u201d Burt said. \u201cEveryone has their hard days. I have bad days. But I\u2019ve developed coping mechanisms and skill sets, like surfing. Surfing in salt water clears your mind. Surfing places everything in front of you \u2014 but the water \u2014 on pause.\u201d<\/p>\n

Burt praised the Challenged Athletes Foundation (CAF) and its Chief Executive Director Virginia Tinley for obliging her requests, \u201cno matter how odd,\u201d early on.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhether it was skateboarding or surfing, Virginia Tinley and CAF were always extremely supportive,\u201d she said. \u201cI\u2019m truly grateful for everything they\u2019ve done, not only for me, but for others.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sponsored by Stance (socks) and presented by Vissla (wetsuits) and the city of San Diego, the 2017 World Adaptive Surfing Championship noted its dedication to promoting gender equality in Para Surfing a.k.a.\u00a0 Adaptive Surfing.<\/p>\n

According to Burt, the championship acts like any other able-bodied, global competition. However, these participants have a physical handicap. Qualification is required through regional competitions. Six divisions classify surfers on their physical impairments. Championships now accommodate women adaptive surfers.<\/p>\n

The event was also noted as the first World Adaptive Championship since ISA gained its landmark recognition from the International Paralympic Committee (IPC). More than 100 challenged athletes from 25 countries showcased their surfing talents. Athletes, sponsors and ISA are working diligently to include a para surfing championship in the Paralympic Games.<\/p>\n

\u201cISA is proud to promote the development of women\u2019s surfing around the globe,\u201d said Fernando Aguerre, ISA president. \u201cAdaptive surfing is a vibrant sport infused with youthful energy and high-performance qualities. The growth of adaptive surfing is just incredible. Under ISA\u2019s leadership, we\u2019re intent on taking the sport to the 2024 Paralympic Games.\u201d<\/p>\n

Vissla also laid claim to its support and excitement.<\/p>\n

\u201cVissla is stoked to support ISA and the adaptive surfing movement,\u201d said Paul Naude, president of Vissla Wetsuits. \u201cThe determination, courage, inspiration and fearlessness of these world-class athletes epitomize our principles as a brand and define our value of creative freedom. The future is looking bright for adaptive surfing and we\u2019re excited to be along for the ride.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2014 P\u00f3ngase en contacto con Luc\u00eda Viti en luciaviti@roadrunner.com<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

North Park amputee is a winner in adaptive surfing By Lucia Viti North Park is paying homage to a gold medal-winning resident, Dani Burt, recently crowned the female champion at the International Surfing Association\u2019s (ISA) World Adaptive Surf Championships.<\/p>","protected":false},"author":726,"featured_media":252491,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"11555","_seopress_titles_title":"Heart of a champion","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","jnews-multi-image_gallery":[],"jnews_single_post":[],"jnews_primary_category":[],"jnews_social_meta":[],"jnews_override_counter":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[11547,11551,11555],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-252605","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-features","category-news","category-uptown-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/test.sdnews.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/252605","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/test.sdnews.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/test.sdnews.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/test.sdnews.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/726"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/test.sdnews.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=252605"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/test.sdnews.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/252605\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/test.sdnews.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/252491"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/test.sdnews.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=252605"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/test.sdnews.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=252605"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/test.sdnews.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=252605"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}