Owen Wright, Mark Occhilupo and other surfing legends will be partaking in the Wipeout Dementia surf contest which is being held at Bondi Beach next month.
The 13th edition of the event, which will run on 5 April, aims to raise money for dementia research being conducted by the Centre for Healthy Brain Ageing.
Following his own brain injury suffered at Pipeline in 2015, Owen also had to witness the start of his father’s decline to dementia.
“Dad was there for me when I needed him most throughout my recovery and life.
“His decline has been a really hard thing to watch, but it’s been an honour to care for my father now I have the time and I somewhat feel like I understand a little about what he’s experiencing after my own battle with my brain,” said Owen.
Occy added: “It’s an honour to be an ambassador for this worthy cause and in some small way help promote healthy brain ageing in this country.”
Owen and Occy will join 1978 world champion Wayne ‘Rabbit’ Bartholomew who has been a long-term ambassador for Wipeout Dementia.
According to the University of New South Wales, who runs the centre leading the research, the number of people living with a dementia diagnosis has risen from 44 million to approximately 57 million since the first Wipeout Dementia event took place in 2015 and the number of Australians living with dementia has increased to over 487,000.
To find out more about the event: click here
To sponsor a surfer in this year’s Wipeout Dementia: click here
