When I was 10 years old, I experienced what it meant to live life with a burning passion and not be afraid of what tomorrow holds.

I witnessed the world deal an unfair deck of cards to someone I love dearly – my father.

Just like any other day, he left work for a few hours to spend quality time doing what made him feel most alive – catching the break of a wave before it crashed onto the shore.

Little did he know his passion would change his life that day – and mine.

He was given a 10% chance of living through the next 48 hours after severely breaking the c2 vertebrae in his neck.

He entered a coma for the next few days and after accepting the medical evidence, the doctors prepared my mom to say goodbye.
Then the day came… He woke up.

Despite all the odds stacked up against him, he not only woke up one day – but after months of rehab he was able to walk again. He did the two things they said he wasn’t supposed to ever do.

But, he can never surfed again – and that’s where my perspective on life changed. 

I realized the result of tomorrow is completely unknown, and thus I chose to follow in my father’s footsteps by choosing to make the most out of every day – despite my doubts and fears.

I secretly vowed that I’d always follow my passion like he did.