Reality TV hero Ashley Nolan from “Survivor: Heroes vs. Healers vs. Hustlers” plants new seeds around her Satellite Beach roots by launching a surf camp for kids this summer.
The 26-year-old surfing enthusiast and former ocean rescue lifeguard instantly captured hearts as a fan favorite on Survivor’s 35th season, which ended last Dec. 20. Stranded in Fiji for 36 days while finishing in sixth place out of 18 contestants, Nolan now brings her newfound street cred and “stoke” for life to Brevard’s beachside.
Through the Ashley Nolan Surf School, aspiring surfers from 5 years old and up learn how to catch their first wave, along with water safety and lifesaving techniques from a true survivor – boards provided. The only requirement is to bring a smile.
Coming home from “Survivor” late last year, Nolan found herself in a restless period of looking for her next drastic move, which she thought was moving to California. She had already quit her job and made the plans, before she realized she didn’t have to go anywhere to start life on her own terms.
“It just hit me one day that this community and my family are everything, and that’s everything that I was thinking about when I was out there. So why would I want to run from that?” Instead, Nolan returned to the same mindset that once led her from leaving an unhappy office job to lifeguarding: “What do I see myself doing right now? I’ll do that.”
For now, Nolan has narrowed it down to surfing, helping people, and working with kids. She provides one-on-one surf lessons as well as group lessons for events and birthday parties with her own roster of surf instructors. Halfway through the lessons, the parents gather around her to express their own surfing aspirations.
Starting the small business was like a five-month “Survivor” challenge for Nolan. It included securing various safety certifications and filling up a friend’s house with her surfboards, as she persevered with determination and resourcefulness. From launching early this year providing individual lessons, to growing into a full-blown summer camp, the surf school achieves the majority of its success through word-of-mouth.
“It’s all been pretty organically grown just from this amazing local community. They want to learn from the local person that people know – or feel like they know,” Nolan says. She also shares her passion as a surf coach for Brevard’s Special Olympics. She grows continually fascinated by working with kids and advocating for inclusivity in the present world.
“People don’t give enough time to really listen to [kids] and not underestimate them, and that’s something I take very seriously,” she says. “The ocean is not a classroom. [They are] here to express themselves and learn a cool new thing and have fun. I’m just here to support them in doing that and making sure they’re safe.”
Her most personal story comes from a single father-headed family of five adopted boys, who have become her regulars. Nolan recalls a conversation with one of the boys who had a particularly rough past rotating between foster homes and his birth mother for the first few years of his life.
“I was in the water with him and he looked at me at one point – this was after two weeks with him – and he was like, ‘Do you know that you’re practically our mom? You’re a lot like our mom but she couldn’t take care of us. You take really good care of us.’ I’m just a surf coach; I have no intentions of filling that role, but to feel that from a 6-year-old to say out loud? Every once in a while you’re in moments like that where you feel like you’re doing exactly what you’re supposed to be doing,” Nolan says.
Nolan dreams of eventually taking her Endless Summer-inspired surf school across the country and world. Being on “Survivor” has allowed her to zero in on what really matters, and for now, she is focused on appreciating life and giving back.
Official dates for the camp are as follows: July 9-13 for ages 9+, July 16-20 for ages 5 to 8, July 30-Aug. 3 for ages 9+, and Aug. 6-7 for all ages. There will also be an Endless Summer Surf Contest on Sunday, Aug. 5, in Paradise Beach, where the students will have the chance to show off their new skills and participate in a friendly competition with the community. Prizes from Villon Clothing, music, yoga and games await as well as free surf lessons and Softech boards to borrow. Food will be provided by Longdoggers Satellite Beach. Registration is free for all applicants who attend the summer camp, with more details coming soon.
Ashley Nolan Surf School, Howard E. Futch Memorial Park, 2301 Hwy. A1A, Indialantic, 32903. 321-720-9142.
Article by: Anthea Manayon, correspondent
