Surfer turns accident into foundation, making waves in Hispanic community

SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) -- Life has its crashing waves; we all must learn to ride.

“I’ve always gravitated towards the ocean,” Humberto Gurmilan said to FOX 5/KUSI. “Even at a young age I would just love the waves."

A surfboard helped the Chula Vista native navigate the sometimes treacherous waters.

“Any surfer or anybody that loves the ocean will tell you that there’s just something about being out there in the water,” Gurmilan said. “For me, it’s just a way of disconnection from the world in a positive way and doing an activity that brings a lot of joy to me.”

He would ride that wave of joy throughout San Diego beaches daily, even surfing near his old home in Tijuana, Mexico.

But on Sept. 30, 1994, everything changed. Gurmilan didn’t make it back home after a surfing trip in Tijuana. On the last wave of the day, he chose to dive headfirst off the board into the water, only to strike the ocean floor. The impact broke his neck, and he was paralyzed from the chest down at 15 years old.

“The biggest challenge was to just know that my life was changed, that I wasn’t going to walk again, that I was not going be able to surf again," Gurmilan said. “It was a start of a new journey.”

It was a long journey to recovery, but one key moment turned the tide.

“When I was lying in bed and my dad was beside me, I asked him a very difficult question. I said, ‘why me?' and he paused for a few seconds and very candidly said, 'why not.'"

That motivated Gurmilan to get better, but he quickly realized the world was not made for people with disabilities.

“I saw that sidewalks were a challenge, saw that stairs were a challenge,” he said. "I have a great support system that have carried me since the first day. Fortunately, I have been able to accomplish a lot of my dreams, accomplish a lot of things and that’s what has gotten me to now try to help others.

In 2005, he started the Gurmilan Foundation, a nonprofit that awards scholarships and resources to disabled students both in Tijuana and the South Bay. In 2021, Hispanic residents made up 62% of the south region’s population. 

“I think we all need, sometimes, examples, people to look up to, to see what’s possible,” Gurmilan said. “And for me, since day one, it’s been something that I’ve taken as a responsibility to show other folks in the Hispanic community to know that it’s possible to achieve your goals, it’s possible to accomplish your dreams, it's possible to be of service to others and impact your community.”

The foundation helps people with physical disabilities that need adaptive equipment. So far, they’ve awarded 50 scholarships for about $25,000.

“If we provide the opportunities, we open the doors, we provide people access to resources, to information, the beach, ocean, people flourish and people accomplish amazing things. I am a result, proof that that is possible," Gurmilan said.

It took 18 years for Gurmilan to get back in the water after the accident and catch a wave, with the help of some friends.

“I think surfing is a great metaphor for life,” he said. “Sometimes waves are going to come, rogue waves or challenges in life, and you get knocked down and you got to get back up."