Into the Waves: Ricardo Mateus’s Surfing Miracle

by Admin · May 16, 2024

Coastal South Africa is surfing country. Dawn Haynes spoke with Durban Catholic, Ricardo Mateus, for whom hitting the waves is an important part of life.

When Ricardo Mateus opened the August 2023 issue of The Southern Cross, he was inspired by the story of the Brazilian “surfer saint” Guido Schäffer, whose sainthood cause has been officially opened. For Ricardo, a parishioner of Our Lady of Lourdes Church in Westville, Durban, surfing was part of the miracle that got him back into society.

Ricardo, 29, has been paralysed in both legs since he was 16, due to a rare illness, and is confined to a wheelchair. Lately, he has excelled in the field of para surfing, a sport for people with disabilities, including those suffering from paralysis of the limbs, amputees and the visually impaired.

He became interested in surfing about a year ago through a friend. Although quite anxious, he decided to give it a try. In spite of having a fear of the ocean since the age of eight, when he almost drowned, Ricardo met with his assistant and took it slowly for his first few attempts. He soon found that not only was he getting used to the waves, but he was also enjoying himself as he developed a new attitude to the ocean.

He practised regularly and in early 2023 decided to enter the KwaZulu-Natal Para Surfing Champs competition — unassisted! On his own, he paddled out on his surfboard into the Durban waves and surprised everyone by coming second! For Ricardo, it was a true miracle.

The South African Champs competition followed and Ricardo was chosen to represent KZN. This was his first trip to Cape Town. On arrival, he went to see the ocean to observe the Cape waves. He found the cold Atlantic very different from what he had become used to in Durban’s Indian Ocean.

He entered the assisted category and finished in a creditable 4th place. The KZN team were the overall winners of the competition.

Ricardo continues to surf regularly and has found that it is not only the waves he enjoys but also the socialising and the general exercise. His stress levels have reduced considerably and he is a happier man.

A terrible disease

Thirteen years ago, Ricardo was diagnosed with transverse myelitis, a rare neurological disease which causes inflammation of the spinal cord and results in varying degrees of paralysis of the lower limbs. Its cause is unknown and there is no cure. Some people regain some of their movement but Ricardo has regained very little. For a young man who was active in many sports, his life changed dramatically.

The first indication of the disease was the sensation of needles and pins in his left leg. Soon Ricardo developed a limp, and the condition worsened until he was struck with sudden paralysis of both legs on December 18, 2010, a few months before his 16th birthday. He underwent many very painful tests during which fluid was removed from his spine. At a rehab facility, he was taught to regain his independence. He then received a wheelchair and started adapting to life at home.

His is one of only a few cases in South Africa where transverse myelitis has resulted in permanent full paralysis from the waist down. Doctors in Cape Town are working on possible treatment but with very little success at this stage.

A few weeks before his 20th birthday, Richardo’s father died from complications of malaria while working in Mozambique. The family was severely affected by these tragedies and took some time to adapt to their difficult situation. Consequently, Ricardo felt quite isolated.

But eventually, he got to the stage where he became self-motivated and completed a business administration course. In 2021 he entered into the real estate industry — and won the “Rookie of the Year” award in 2022! He is now a practising real estate agent with a local company.

Published in the March 2024 issue of The Southern Cross magazine