Sam:
I am 40 years old, I have been a police officer for 15 years. I started working in Exeter and later moved to North Devon (so I could surf more often!) which is where I am currently based. I have been a ‘hybrid’ neighbourhood officer! A response officer, a detective, a response sergeant and a custody sergeant which is the role I am currently in.
I have been a surfer for over 20 years, I learned to surf in Pembrokeshire and chose to join D+C police so I could carry on surfing! I started surfing because it was fun and I love being in and around the ocean, I learned to surf on a longboard after seeing ‘the endless summer 2’ when I was 15 and watching a famous surfer named ‘wingnut’ surf. I have always ridden longboards since but also like to ride some smaller retro boards on occasion. It would be fair to say I am slightly obsessed by surfboard design, I have shaped surfboards from foam and balsawood and also built some hollow wooden surfboards and have a modest collection of surfboards at home!
In recent years I have become aware of how I use surfing as a coping mechanism for when I need to de-stress and unwind, I have found it works better than anything else. That is what has led me to develop the Surfwell program along with James.
I am married and I have two young children who are 1 and 4 years old so I can fully appreciate the struggle of trying to manage a good work-life balance and the stress that can create! I have also experienced various forms of stress in the roles I have undertaken from managing the isolation of rural policing to coping with the pressures of an ever increasing workload as a detective.
I am very excited to have the opportunity to pioneer a program like this, hopefully my experiences, the coping strategies I have developed and the passion I have for this program and for surfing will enable me to help others.
Jo:
I grew up in landlocked Buckinghamshire, family holidays were spent in North Devon and at an early age I fell in love with the sea and surfing. Determined to “live the dream” I eventually returned to North Devon to follow my passion of surfing and in my role as a police officer.
I now live here with my partner Monique and our two collie dogs, Fin and Kai. If we are not down the beach we are having adventures in our camper exploring our National Parks. My policing career began in 1996 in Dorset on patrol, in Poole and Bournemouth. In 2002 I joined the Dorset Police Marine Unit and served 5 years on the team returning for specialist roles for the Olympics and G8.
Developing people to see and reach their potential drives me and to assist me with this I became a tutor, police trainer and obtained an Advanced Certificate in Education. Surfing for me is a way of life, it has taken me on adventures all over the world to some beautiful places such as Costa Rica, Hawaii, Sri Lanka, Java, Bali, Lanzarote and France and given me opportunities to meet some inspirational people.
It is humbling, empowering and helps me feel alive and focused. I am absolutely no expert but I am passionate about surfing. I love it when I can help others to experience the emotions and feelings that surfing brings whether that be the thrill of catching waves or the sense of peace and calm that comes with just being on the water.
James:
I have always had a passion for the sea and spent many family holidays in Devon, Cornwall and Dorset. I was really lucky to be able to travel around the world when I finished University and took six months out to do this. I have always had a deep urge to be by the sea and to travel and this is something which has never subsided. I never thought I would join the Police and always wanted to be a pilot. Anyone who knows me knows my infamous squinty eyes though and I clearly would not have been able to see well enough to fly planes at speed! I grew up closely understanding the unique lifestyle which policing brings as my dad was in Wiltshire Police. I had my own first policing experience as a special in Bath in 2000, while at university. This sealed the deal and I decided that I enjoyed the excitement and challenges.
I joined the Police in 2004, starting in Dorset Police where I worked on response and (Briefly thankfully!) prisoner handling in Poole. I then moved to Avon and Somerset to live in Bath where I worked in Bristol on a response team for 18 months before moving to Bristol’s proactive targeting team, where I remained until 2014, before moving to Devon and Cornwall Police/ I always wanted to live by the sea and felt landlocked being in Bristol. I worked on response for 3 months before moving to a proactive team in Devon for a year. I took and passed the Sgts exam in 2015 then started acting PS on a neighbourhood team before getting temp promotion in 2016 and then promoted to my current role in custody in 2017. I have worked in a variety of areas, have a natural passion for proactive policing and any policing which involves dynamic and fast paced activity.
Sam and I started SURFWELL from an idea while out surfing in 2018. We discussed how we should bottle the feeling of a good surf and use that to help others who are feeling stressed or pressured. The pace of growth and development has not stopped since that moment! We have been on an incredible journey together and hope to grow SURFWELL into a concept which those in the know (Only a surfer knows!...) can use to help our colleagues who suffer with the ill effects of trauma and stress. We have a vision to make us the fittest, healthiest and most mentally well police force in the world. People live and work here, and choose to move here for a reason and we have truly world class beaches and scenery and I think this is our best secret. We should be proud of where we live and use our natural area to boost our sense of physical and mental wellbeing.
I have a wife who is also in the Police, and two young children who are both top of their game in their own chosen sports. They are already seeing the benefits of sport as a way to keep happy. I am also a keen cyclist, love anything to do with the ocean, fitness and outdoors, and have a hidden love of house and garden design and renovation. I am clumsy, can’t kick a ball straight, but love a great BBQ and social gathering. I love summer and live music and get very bored in the winter. I am blessed with energy, but get very bored when I cant use it!!
I am proud to be a founding member of SURFWELL and am passionate to make it a success.
Surfwell Website: Click Here