Article from special contributor, Justin DeBree. I grew up on the Eastern End of Long Island, NY. One summer, a Lifeguard named Rick Shalvoy set out on a 7 day journey in a lifeguard boat to row around long Island for Breast Cancer Awareness. I was a young kid at the time so each morning I would roll out of bed and run down the driveway to get the newspaper to catch up on his progress. I was his biggest fan. His journey for an amazing cause etched something in my mind that would never go away.
So in 2008 when a heartfelt “thank you” from a stranger while I was volunteering at a Skin Cancer Foundation Surf event in Cocoa Beach, FL occurred it triggered something in my brain archives. The “thank you” was not your normal one- it was accompanied by watery eyes and a quivering lip that spoke volumes to what that person had recently gone through with a family member. That “thank you” changed my life. It made me want to do more & help more. Memories of Ricks Row and a personal obsession for Standup Paddle boarding seemed like a predestined answer for my goal of helping the Skin Cancer Foundation more.
I secretly began training. Any free time I had, no matter what the ocean conditions, daytime or nighttime I was on my board paddling. Each time taking it a few miles further. After a few months, I set up my meeting with the World Skin Cancer Foundation and “Justin’s Journey” was created. That’s also when things got serious. The scary realization that a foundation, donators, family, friends, media are all counting on you to complete a 430 mile trip in the ocean that has never been done before and to be honest, I didn’t know I could do.
Training now had to go on backburner as I had to focus on the #1 goal and that was education & fundraising. We wanted to promote people going outside, but being safe about it with sunscreen, UV resistant shirts, etc. I was to go paddle up the coast, and comeback “pale.”
As the days drew closer, so did the nerves. I was on all of the FL news channels, newspapers, Telemundo and even Good Morning America! With all of the media, donations were rolling in at levels they never saw. I just had one thing to do and that was complete “Justin’s Journey.”
On June 21, I made my first paddle stroke on the south end of Key Biscayne on what would be 2 of the best weeks of my life. Each day and night, stroke after stroke, I was making the difference that I had wanted. I faced it all- dangerous holding waves in inlets, freighters, raging currents, insane thunderstorms, FL summer heat, rogue waves, mind games, and of course sharks. On July 4
th
, I crossed the FL/GA line in the town of St Marys, GA, where I was escorted in by several police boats to a huge crowd celebrating the Country’s Oldest July 4
th
Parade.
We raised over 1 million dollars which went to developing a education program for schools around the country, Educational Signs at all FL Beach entrances, & free sunscreen program, among other things.
Years later, the affects of Justin’s Journey carry on. It seems that I did for others what Rick did for me. I often get social media messages and questions from those wanting to do something like I did. My message for them is don’t let anyone tell you that you cant do it and If you believe in the cause then anything is possible.
Since Justin’s Journey I paddled around Manhattan for Autism Speaks Foundation 3 summers in a row but have now turned to more local foundations supporting the Indian River Lagoon.
