Jesse Billauer (born February 24, 1979) is a well-known
surfer from
Pacific Palisades, California
Pacific Palisades is a neighborhood in the Westside region of Los Angeles, California, situated about west of Downtown Los Angeles.
Pacific Palisades was formally founded in 1921 by a Methodist organization, and in the years that followed be ...
.
Billauer suffered an accident at the age of 17 on March 25, 1996, hitting his
head on a shallow sandbar after being knocked off his surfboard by a wave. The force broke his neck, severing his spinal cord at the C6 level and instantly rendering him a
quadriplegic
Tetraplegia, also known as quadriplegia, is defined as the dysfunction or loss of motor and/or sensory function in the cervical area of the spinal cord. A loss of motor function can present as either weakness or paralysis leading to partial or ...
.
Billauer was told by
doctors that he would never surf again. However, Billauer eventually did return to surfing, adapting his surfing technique and equipment to the situation of his current condition, known as
para surfing. He has become a role model to many other surfers, both professional and amateur, on how to live a life to the fullest, despite a life changing injury.
National Spinal Cord Injury Association
/ref> Through these efforts, Jesse has gained sponsorships from companies including Hurley, Channel Islands Surfboards (who developed a "Jesse Billauer" model), LoFric, Wavejet and Shoe City.
After graduating from Malibu High School
Malibu High School (MHS) is a public high school in Malibu, California. The school is one of three high schools in the Santa Monica–Malibu Unified School District and serves students in the city of Malibu and surrounding communities.
Location
T ...
, Billauer eventually enrolled at San Diego State University
San Diego State University (SDSU) is a public research university in San Diego, California. Founded in 1897 as San Diego Normal School, it is the third-oldest university and southernmost in the 23-member California State University (CSU) system ...
with an emphasis in communications. He graduated in 2002. He is also a motivational speaker, and is executive director the nonprofit he founded, Life Rolls O
Through this foundation, Jesse is taking a leading role in awareness and activism for spinal cord injury related quality of life programs.
The 2003 documentary '' Step Into Liquid'' featured his story and his friendship with Rob Machado
Robert Edward Machado (born October 16, 1973) is an Australian-born American professional surfer.
Early life
Machado attended San Dieguito High School. He describes himself in interviews, vlogs and social media as a "soul surfer," or fre ...
. Billauer was also featured on ''Extreme Makeover: Home Edition'', ''Dateline NBC'', ''Good Morning America'', ''While You Were Out'', ''E! True American Story'', and more. In 2004, he won the 10News Leadership Award for his commitment to the Life Rolls On Foundation. His life story is featured in the book ''Bouncing Forward: Transforming Bad Breaks into Breakthroughs''.
In 2005, Billauer became the first quadriplegic surfer to surf the dangerous waves of Cloudbreak in Fiji. He now surfs utilizing a power-assisted surfboard created by Wavejet.
The inaugural "Jesse's Story on Tour" speaking tour began in April 2006. Through the tour, he delivered his message of overcoming adversity to over 100,000 people.
In December 2006, Billauer broke his femur while surfing large waves on the North Shore of Oahu. This injury led to the development of improved equipment for disabled surfers. He has recovered and is back in the water surfing again.
In September 2013, he took over as executive director and CEO of Life Rolls On Foundation.
On October 26, 2014, Billauer married his longtime girlfriend, Samanta Pearson, at the historic Adamson House
The Adamson House and its associated land, which was known as Vaquero Hill in the 19th century, is a historic house and gardens in Malibu, California. The residence and estate is on the coast, within Malibu Lagoon State Beach park.
It has bee ...
in Malibu.
References
External links
Life Rolls On FoundationOfficial website and Full Bio
*https://abcnews.go.com/Health/story?id=1198961&page=1
* Haas, Michaelaas (Atria 2015) http://www.michaelahaas.com/inspirationalpeople/
{{DEFAULTSORT:Billauer, Jesse
1979 births
Living people
American surfers
Billaeur
Billaeur