A Whale of a Reception: Surfer Jodie Nelson Paddles for Breast Cancer Awareness

Written by guest blogger Natasha Raju

“Let me ask you something. If someone prays for patience, you think God gives them patience? Or does he give them the opportunity to be patient? If he prayed for courage, does God give him courage, or does he give him opportunities to be courageous?” –Evan Almighty

Sometimes we take for granted the signs all around us that show us that God is watching over us and that he truly understands the measures we take in life. If we pray to be inspiring, does God just give it to us or does he give us to opportunity to inspire others?

When Southern California surfer, Jodie Nelson, was stand-up paddling from Santa Catalina Island to Dana Point, she was hoping to inspire her best friend who has been struggling to fight breast cancer. She was helping to raise money for cancer charities and also increase the awareness of the cancer effecting women all over the nation.

God was not the only one on her side that day. A 30-foot minke whale, which Nelson named Larry, swam alongside her board for two of the nine hours she was paddling. “To me it was a total God thing," Nelson said. "We prayed at four that morning that God would reveal his beauty and creation and nature, and allow me to endure this long trek, so for me it's not such a huge surprise that this happened."

Nelson was hoping to raise $100,000 for the Keep a Breast Foundation and Boarding for Breast Cancer, however was only able to raise $6,000. Regardless of outcome, she believes that with the help of Larry, her fundraising efforts will soon help her achieve her goal. "I can't even begin to compare what I did, to what cancer patients are going through," she said. "But I wanted to put myself out there in a dangerous and scary, overwhelming situation; something that was big and just to show people that you can win that battle with that big, scary thing called cancer.

So next time you feel inspiring, look around you … you never know when God is giving you a sign! If you would like to help Jodie with her cause, you can reach her through her page on Keep a Breast Foundation Web site.

And don’t forget to inspire others by giving back at Uptown Liz!