Derek Rabelo, a teen who has been surfing for just a few years, recently ventured to Hawaii to ride one of the most dangerous waves in the entire world. And did we mention he's blind?
The 19-year-old, who hails from the Brazilian coastal town of Guarapari, made waves recently when a short film of him surfing in Hawaii went viral. His story is straight from Hollywood: Blinded by glaucoma since birth, Derek goes on to tackle physical challenges that few with perfect vision even consider.
"I swim, surf, skate, ride a bicycle," Derek says in a feature produced by Storyhunter. "With God, anything is possible."
Despite his relative inexperience on the board, Derek has developed a knack for riding the waves. He says he can tell the size and shape of the wave by the sound of the water. Derek also has the sport in his blood, as his father was a professional surfer.
Earlier this year Derek took on the ultimate surfing challenge: Hawaii's Banzai Pipeline. Cameras crews followed him to the Hawaiian Islands and captured his time in the water.
Check it out:
For more footage of Derek, see here.
(H/T to Bro Bible)
