Waves to Wisdom Interviews Maia Dery - Educator, Coach, Surfer

Surfer, Navy veteran, artist, mentor, and all-around inspiring guy Brad Turner talks about his life in the waves.

Check out the latest interview. This one is with Dr. Antonio Puente-- celebrated neuropsychologist, wise human, stoked surfer!

At one point in his life, Dr. Puente was an undocumented refugee kid, smiling at someone administering a standardized test he didn’t understand a word of. Now he’s a celebrated scholar and an advocate who, in his words, works tirelessly to carry “the flag of truth, the flag of discovery, the flag of diversity.”

In our conversation, he tells the story of the crucial role his relationship with the ocean played in his epic journey.

To listen to the interview, scroll to the Player at the bottom of the page.

Learn more about coaching with Maia"...when I surf I could just sit there, and I know I'm black, and I can tell by some of the stares, people are going, 'Oh, look, a black woman.' But I can just sit there and shut down for a bit. That's nice."~ Surf Sista Mary



























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UNCODE.initRow(document.getElementById("script-194984"));Show Notes and Further Reading

Mary’s Blog: Black People Don’t Surf

Derrick Adams’ Water Paintings

Swim Beyond: A 501 (c)(3) Non-profit that maintains a scholarship fund to help those who do not have the financial means to participate in swim lessons.

Black Kids Swim: An organization whose priority is “creating and protecting excellence in Black children.”  From their website: “Black Kids Swim will share our activities to unify and strengthen the African diaspora through a love of swimming.”

NY TIMES Article about racism and American pools.

Trailer for documentary The Black Line.

Trailer for documentary White Wash about African American surfers

Interview with Neuroscientist Arne Dietrich on Flowstate

Nina Simone Interview

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INTRODUCTION

Surf Sista Mary: What you don’t understand about being black or being gay or being, you know, Latino or Muslim is you’re always reminded of it. So if you’re white, you can just go through life and be white. But if you’re a different group something is always reminding you. The president says something or there’s something on the news or somebody goes to a mosque and shoots up the place. All those things remind you, oh you’re not like everybody else, even though you are. But when I surf I could just sit there, and I know I’m black, and I can tell by some of the stares,

To listen to the interview, scroll to the Player at the bottom of the page.

Learn more about coaching with Maia"If you have the chance to get closer to the ocean that’s gonna be life changing. Maybe you’re not living the life you wanted or always expected to be, I think the ocean might help you a little bit to decide here’s my priorities now and this is what I want to do."~ Dr. Nathalie Arias



























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UNCODE.initRow(document.getElementById("script-958439"));Show Notes and Further Reading

2014 Article Describing Economic Inequality in the Trans-national Surf Communities of Nosara and Samara Costa Rica, from the Center For Responsible Travel

2019 Article from The Lancet Reporting on a SYstematic Review of the Lack of Nutritional Training in Medical Schools

Conocer: A Responsible, Socially Engaged Tour Operator in Nosara, Costa RIca

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To listen to the interview, scroll to the Player at the bottom of the page.

Learn more about coaching with Maia"You're always evolving but at some point you have to discover your true essence, who you are. I’m Maureen and I'm a surfer and that's who I have always been.And for most of us as older transitioners, who’ve been through what we've been through, we don't want to see younger kids struggle the way we did. We want to allow the younger trans population to experience themselves early. But for most of us older transitioners, it’s, you reach a point where it's transition or die."~ Maureen McNamara



























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UNCODE.initRow(document.getElementById("script-749673"));Show Notes

Maureen McNamara’s article about being a trans surfer in The Inertia

Maureen McNamara’s Instagram

One of Maureen’s surf style heroes: Leah Dawson

The first mainstream surf documentary: The Endless Summer

A brief article in The Inertia putting The Endless Summer in historical context

Britannica entry on Tiresias

Resources for transgender youth

Resources for parents of transgender children

Find an LGBT supportive therapist

UNCODE.initRow(document.getElementById("script-453719"));A Few of Maureen's Photos

To listen to the interview, scroll to the Player at the bottom of the page.



Learn more about coaching with Maia"As a Tico Nosareño and surfer, I love this place. It’s so good. This place is magical. A lot of things that you can learn. The waves, surfing is so good. Just like taking off like just get up on the wave, it’s gonna feel like something magical inside of you, like butterflies on your belly, something like that, it’s gonna like, feels like, this is like heaven."

~Kevin Pipin Carillo



























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UNCODE.initRow(document.getElementById("script-866574"));Show Notes

The ATV tour service, Pippin Rentals, Kevin and his family operate in Nosara.

The surf school where Kevin teaches, Safari Surf.

National Geographic Article on Blue Zones (where people routinely live longer than average)

Peer reviewed article about how research into Blue Zones led to this conclucion: “putting the responsibility of curating a healthy environment on an individual does not work, but through policy and environmental changes the Blue Zones Project Communities have been able to increase life expectancy, reduce obesity and make the healthy choice the easy choice for millions of Americans.”