teacher.Heeschewed lessonplans, took
hisdog toclasseverydayandplayedwith
thekidsduringrecesswheneverhecould.
Theseedsof IndoJaxwereplantedwhen
he tookagirlwithcerebralpalsy into the
PacificOcean.
Nineyearsago,Viorelmovedwithhis
wife,Aileen, anddaughter (theynowhave
threechildren) to theNorthCarolina
coast, looking toslowdown their lives.He
retired from teaching toopenasurfing
business.Hisfirstnontraditionalcamp
was forHIV/AIDSpatientseightyears
ago.Thecamp forblindchildren followed
a fewmonths later,withfivekids.There
weremore than30signedup thisyear.
Viorelalsohas traveled toIndiaseven
times to teachsurfing togirls inanor-
phanage.Theone thatstandsout,hesays,
isa14-year-oldgirlnamedReena.Before
arrivingat theorphanage, shewaskid-
nappedbyaso-calledbeggarmafia,who
gougedoneofhereyesout.Thatmadeher
abetterbeggar, and thekidnappers took
themoney.Viorel setout to teachher to
surf in theIndianOceannear thesouth-
ern tipof India,but itwasn’teasy. “She
hadnopositiveoutlookonherown life,”
hesays. “Shedidn’tcare.Shedidn’t think
shehada future.”
AfterViorel’sfirstvisit,Reenawrotea
letter to thenunsat theorphanage.She
wrote thatwhensheplays in theocean
withIndoJax instructors, she feels likea
fish.Shesaid thewaterwashesawayher
problems.Shepromised tobelieveshehad
a future, togetbettergrades, tobehave.
Shepromisedallof that, shewrote, if
Viorelpromised tocomeback.Whichhe
has.Everyyear.
92
DECEMBER2015
AMERICANWAY
HEHOPESTOTEACHHIS
STUDENTSTOFACETHEIRFEARS,
TOFEELPRIDE,
TOHANDLEFAILURE.
PHOTO
RI CHARD PERRY
