At Coastal Adaptive Sports, we love what we do - but wouldn’t be where we are today without our selfless volunteers! So we decided to start a blog series in order to shine a spotlight on some of our volunteers. This month’s post is dedicated to Coastal Adaptive Sports volunteer, Vann Horne.

Vann Horne is originally from North Carolina but has lived in the Myrtle Beach area for about 30 years. He has two kids; one that’s 22 and is a Marine, and one that is 9 years old. Vann loves surfing, skateboarding, and anything that involves water.

We got on the phone with adaptive sports volunteer Vann Horne to talk to him about his experience with our organization.

How long have you been volunteering with Coastal Adaptive Sports?

Vann: I’ve been volunteering for about 5 years now.

Please describe your first experience with CAS.

Vann: I met Luke Sharp on the beach one day and started to volunteer because he kept inviting me to join, and I’ve been doing it ever since. My first event was an adaptive surfing event and it was an amazing feeling seeing the smiles of the participants and their families.

What’s your favorite part about volunteering for CAS?

Vann: My favorite part about volunteering is helping people experience something new in their life while being in the water.

What would you tell others (participants) who are hesitant about signing up for an event with CAS?

Vann: Many people are scared at first, but as soon as they catch their first wave, their whole demeanor changes and they want to keep going back to do it again and again. It’s a little scary at first, which is understandable. But after you give it a shot, you’ll want to keep going out there to catch more waves.

Tell me a little about the adaptive biking events, please.

Vann: The bike riding events have anywhere from 40-50 people who show up each time. The rides take place in the park in North Myrtle Beach, and we have all kinds of bikes to accommodate people. It’s a great event! People just have to show up, and we’re always looking for volunteers to help push or ride along. Everyone really enjoys being together and working to help others. Even if your disability keeps you from riding a bike, we’ll get you one one so that you can enjoy riding, too!

How has CAS helped you?

Vann: It puts a whole different light on understanding the stories of people with disabilities. Everyone has a story and they’re all interesting to hear - whether something happened to them or if they were born that way. My kids have gotten into it, too, and it has totally changed their perspective on how they see people with disabilities. I recently helped a blind man learn how to paddle board, and that was such an amazing experience.

Anything else you’d like to add?

Vann: The people with CAS are an incredible group of people. They’re all very caring and understanding to peoples’ needs. And, they want to make everyone as happy as they can be during their experience.

If you’re interested in being an adaptive sports volunteer with CAS, be sure to contact us and sign up for an event! You can also view our events calendar for more information.

Wanna get involved? You may also volunteer to help out with a Coastal Adaptive Sports event by clicking here.