CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCBD) – Where the Atlantic rolls in steady blue rhythms, and the shoreline stretches wide, veterans find more than waves at Folly Beach. They are finding grounding, connection, and a new identity through the Warrior Surf Foundation.
Based in Charleston, the nonprofit provides free surf therapy, yoga, wellness coaching, and community support to veterans navigating life after military service. What begins as time in the water often becomes something deeper: a practice in presence, resilience, and belonging.
Clayton Merritt, executive director of Warrior Surf Foundation, knows that transformation firsthand. A former Army servicemember, Merritt spent four and a half years stationed in Colorado, and two deployments to Afghanistan. When his service ended, he felt a pull back to the coast…