Newcastle Facilitator

Bio coming soon!

Newcastle Facilitator

Rob has a Bachelor's degree in Psychology and Philosophy from the University of Sydney. After volunteering for Waves of Wellness during his undergraduate studies, he has now joined the team as a program facilitator. Rob grew up in Bathurst, NSW, but spent much time surfing on the south coast of Victoria. He loves sharing the stoke with others in the water and searching for uncrowded waves along the Australian coastline. He's also a passionate ukulele player at an advanced beginner level.

Newcastle Facilitator

Kelly has a background in teaching, social work, and integrative nutrition. The facilitator role at WOW stood out to Kelly as she combined the joys of surfing with therapy to enhance the lives of others. While she originally hailed from Sydney, she’s called many places home throughout her life. When she’s up on the QLD beaches, Birubi and Currumbin are her go-to surf spots (with a self-proclaimed soft spot for that warmer water!) In a previous life, Kelly had a stint as a circus performer, and when she’s not by the sea, you'll often find her gracefully suspended in aerial silks, defying gravity.

Newcastle Facilitator

Country-boy Ben studied psychology at Charles Sturt Uni in Wagga Wagga and spends his time as a mental health worker at Flourish. Although he grew up on a farm in Cootamundra, he learned to surf on annual road trips to Ulladulla. Ben still loves to get away from the busy spots and counts Seal Rocks as his favourite wave to surf in the world. When he’s not in the water you may find him rollerblading behind a dog.  

Wollongong Facilitator

Donna studied Occupational Therapy at Sydney Uni and a Master of Public Health at Wollongong Uni. When she’s not bringing the WOW factor to the ‘Gong she works in Community OT, mainly in aged care and dementia support. She learnt the art of surfing along the East Coast of NSW and has since ridden waves in Mexico and Indonesia. These days, you’ll find her at her local break, Sandon Point. She also likes to pretend she’s the same age as her kids, learning new things with them along the way, thus she’s a very amateur skateboarder, bass guitarist and soccer player!

Central Coast Facilitator

James is an Accredited Exercise Physiologist & Exercise Scientist, currently studying for a post-grad diploma in Psychology. He first caught our eye as the founder of The Positivity Project, which designs and delivers wellbeing projects in schools, community, and business sectors. He’s a country boy born and bred in Dubbo but headed east to learn to surf in North Bondi. While he grew up riding horses and chasing cattle in the Central West, NSW he now loves riding foamies and chasing waves on the Central Coast, NSW.

Sydney Facilitator

Bio coming soon!

Sydney Facilitator

Simon is one of our legendary volunteers turned facilitators, having been a phenomenal presence in the Bondi programs for many years. He studied exercise science at Sydney Uni and completed a graduate degree in psychology at Monash. Simon learnt to surf in the gentle waves of Byron Bay and took it back to his hometown of Sydney's northern beaches, although he counts the South Coast of NSW as the best place to shred. He also works for a speech/communication tech start-up and has scars on his arm from a tiger attack (or a quad-biking accident as a child... depending on who asks!).

Sydney Facilitator

Bio coming soon!

Sydney Facilitator

Bio coming soon!

Melbourne Facilitator

Bio coming soon!

Sunshine Coast Facilitator

Meet Paul, armed with a Bachelor of Science from the University of Melbourne and a Master of Public Health degree from the University of Queensland; he’s more than just a wave rider. Originally from the chilly South Coast of Victoria, Paul now calls Noosa home, sharing his love of surfing and passion for wellbeing through WOW. His favourite surf spot is still the hidden gem and quiet beach town of Mallacoota on Victoria’s north-east coast. Beyond the waves, Paul is passionate about community development, mental health, and fostering well-being through surfing while maintaining a quiet admiration for Chicken Joe from Surfs Up.

Sunshine Coast Facilitator

Will’s background is in high school PE teaching, and he’s a Level 2 Surf coach with 20 years of surfing behind him. He has travelled the world surf coaching and teaching and loves the positivity and perspective surfing can bring into people's lives. Will lives by the motto "If in doubt, paddle out" and draws inspiration daily from his two biggest heroes, Mary Poppins and Kanye West.

Ballina Facilitator

Tracey joined the WOW family in 2019, bringing her experience as a social worker and training in counselling. She has experience with depression, anxiety, relationships and conflict resolution - not to mention her skills in what she calls ‘beginner surfing’! Tracey counts her closest beach, Seven Mile Beach, as her favourite for swimming, surfing or even sea kayaking. Every morning, she inflicts her chooks with her halting, badly phrased French, yet they still lay eggs!

Gold Coast Facilitator

Martin hails from Chile, where he gained a Bachelor's in Psychology and a Master's in Organisational Psychology at Universidad Adolfo Ibanez. Since moving to Oz, he has studied Fitness, Strength, & Conditioning and picked up a Diploma in Sport Development, learning how powerful exercise can be in the journey of healing and personal change. He grew up surfing the freezing waters of Chile, but these days, he prefers a cosy corner in Northern NSW. While he’s a frother by day, at night, he tapes his mouth up and makes sure he breathes through his nose!