Dave Deep and Stefan LeRoy
“There are those who speak about you who say, ‘he lost an arm, he lost a leg,
she lost her sight.’ I object. You gave your arm, you gave your leg, you gave
your sight, as gifts to your nation so that we may live in freedom. Thank you.
And to your families, families of the fallen and families of the wounded,
you’ve sacrificed in ways that those of us who have not walked in your shoes,
can only imagine.”
–General Peter M. Pace
“Do you realize I don’t have legs?” asked the handsome, dark-haired Army Sergeant, Stefan LeRoy.
“Yes, come to our event, and we’ll figure out how to make it work,” said Dave Deep, founder of Wake for Warriors.
The mission at Wake for Warriors (WFW) is to share a passion for wake and water sports in order to heal the emotional and psychological wounds of military veterans and their families. Dave Deep, a former Marine veteran and Delta Air Lines® pilot, started the nonprofit in 2011 in his home town of Waleska, Georgia. Headquarters are now located in Salem, Alabama.
Deployed twice to Afghanistan, Dave understands intimately that the scars of war are both visible and invisible. He now works relentlessly to provide a few worry-free days on the water for amputee and injured veterans by providing an environment of normalcy, freedom, and celebration for accomplishing the impossible. From the humble beginnings on Lake Arrowhead in North Georgia, WFW now covers the USA, from coast-to-coast.
After prodding from his wife Katie, Stefan finally gave in and registered to attend an event held in Miami, Florida. Despite being a double amputee, Stefan met the challenge of learning to surf. This was the beginning of yet another facet of Stefan’s freedom, healing, and sense of accomplishment after a devastating event.
“While deployed in Afghanistan during Operation Enduring Freedom, I cleared improvised explosive devices (IEDs) with my platoon,” said Stefan. “While working one day, two IEDs detonated. I rushed to aid those injured by the blasts. Carrying my injured friend to a Medevac helicopter, I was struck by a third explosion. I lost both of my legs immediately, one above the knee. My good friend died as a result of the attack.”
The 9/11 tragedy had occurred when Stefan was just a young boy, yet its profound affect led him to join the Army, work to become a Sergeant Cavalry Scout and fight against terrorism. This innate drive could not be extinguished by disaster. Actually, it went into overdrive as Stefan faced the difficult road to recovery.
“Sixteen months after my last surgery I completed the Boston Marathon as a hand-cycler. Once fitted with prosthetic legs, I ran the 2016 Boston Marathon.”
Stefan completed the race in six hours and forty-three minutes and continues to compete in marathons, including the Boston again in 2019, triathlons, and other athletic competitions.
He hasn’t stopped since, adding surfing to his athletic feats that summer in Miami. Constantly pushing as an adaptive athlete, his steel will and commitment to excel convinces the rest of us that anything is possible. While surfing from a seated position, Stefan won the entire adaptive division at the Minnesota Wakesurf Championship. Later that year he also won the sitting adaptive division at the Nautique Wakesurf Nationals.
“This community has become a big part of my life,” said Stefan. “I want it to grow.”
He and his wife Katie regularly coach veterans, both men and women, to help them master wave-riding skills while attending weekend events. Both now serve WFW in an official capacity—Stefan as a board member and Katie as secretary.
Stefan LeRoy (US Army) surfing in a competition
I asked Dave, “What motivated you to start Wake for Warriors?”
“Looking back now, I realize that WFW was a way I could continue to enjoy the best parts of being a Marine Officer, leader, and flight instructor. The tenets I learned serve as a basis for our core principles. First, the best officers make it their responsibility to care for their people spiritually, mentally, and physically, to the best of their abilities. Sometimes, it’s being there to encourage someone. On occasion, it’s a push in the right direction. Other times it’s providing tough love.
“Second, as a flight instructor, I found it rewarding to witness the expression on the face of a struggling student as the look of doubt and fear was replaced with an attitude of confidence. To see that ear-to-ear smile when someone accomplishes something they weren’t sure they could do is all the motivation I need to keep going. At WFW, our coaches, volunteers, and drivers get to experience that same feeling you get when they impact a life in a positive way.”
When Veterans gather together on the water, limits are pushed, confidence is gained, and forever-friendships forged. Best of all, disabilities fade away. At one event, Nate, who happens to have only one leg and is blind, took to the water and rode his heart out behind the best wakeboard and surf boat made, the Nautique Super Air G23.* The depths of the friendships gained at these events are the fuel that keeps Dave and his crew going. Things can get hard, especially during grueling summer schedules that include physically taxing four-day events and nonstop travel.
Our nation’s warriors are a proud but troubled segment of our population, as confirmed by veteran statistics. According to the Department of VA, twenty veterans die by suicide every day, and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistic reports that the unemployment rate for Post 9/11 veterans is nearly twice the national average, and 29% of them have a service connected disability.
While writing this story, a friend asked me to pray for his son who had served two tours in Iraq, and while there, made quite a few friends. Since leaving the Army, the young man had lost three friends to suicide. Oh, how our veterans need and deserve our prayers and the best support possible while serving and as they struggle to transition back into civilian life.
“It’s so easy to feel like people forget or don’t care about the things you have done in service to this country,” said WFW rider and Army Veteran, Neil Boekel. “Then a dude like Dave Deep comes along and lets you know there are people out there who have not forgotten the sacrifices made by you and yours. He takes us out to shred some wakes and helps us remember how to smile!”
Without considering the era in which they fought or the branch served in, when veterans come together on the water, bonds are instantaneous. At WFW, healing and life-changing connections matter because our amazing warriors matter.
Stefan LeRoy doing a surfboard handstand
Dave Deep assisting Mark Rosebery (US Army)
*WFW proudly partners with Nautique (Correct Craft) boats. Thanks to the generosity of Nautique and several dealerships across the nation, WFW’s veterans ride behind the best boats on the market at no cost. Since its inception in 1925, Correct Craft, founded by W. C. Meloon, has operated based on Christian principles. “Building Boats to the Glory of God” is the prominently displayed mission statement of the company.