We heard about TWLOHA (To Write Love On Her Arms) this summer and were really impressed with the work these guys do for young people dealing with depression, addiction, self-injury and suicide. It turns out CJ Hobgood, ASP world champion 2001 and currently on the ASP World Tour also has a lot of time for this great organization. We caught up with him between comps to find out more about what they do.
Who or what is TWLOHA?
http://www.twloha.com/vision/
How did you get involved with them?
i grew up with founder jamie t, we grew up surfing, dreaming of life as a professional surfer, i went on to surf, jamie went onto work in the surf industry. me and jamie have always remained close, about 6 years ago jamie wrote a story about a young lady who was struggling with addiction. he wrote the story to raise $ to afford treatment for her, he continues to do that on a grander scale. me and jamie would always talk, i would tell him if i had an opportunity in my career i would love to rock TWLOHA fly the flag, jamie would always express his interest about getting into the surfing world as thats his first love. that all came to tuition at the begging of this year and we just been having fun with it.
What would you say to anyone who’s affected by these kinds of issues?
Many people struggle with the same thing, you’re not alone. Life can be really tough but you’re not alone on this journey…. You’re loved and there’s hope and there’s help too – professional help such as counseling and treatment. The first step is the scary one to take but it’s worth it.
Would you say the work TWLOHA does has some personal connection to you and your past?
its super personal, i love jamie, we’ve grown up with each other and would do anything for the other.
As for the issues, I think everyone can relate to pain. I know I’ve tasted it in my life, going through a divorce a few years ago for example. We all have our stuff and we all need other people.
If anyone reading this feels inspired to help, what can they do to support TWLOHA?
Check out the MOVE section of twloha.com for ways to get involved. It could be as small as buying a shirt or as big as moving to Florida to join the team. And beyond TWLOHA, we just want people to know it’s okay to talk about the hard stuff in life, and to lean on other people.
To find out more about TWLOHA, what they do, donate, find out how you can help them or how they might be able to help you, go to http://www.twloha.com/
To Write Love on Her Arms is a non-profit movement dedicated to presenting hope and finding help for people struggling with depression, addiction, self-injury and suicide. TWLOHA exists to encourage, inform, inspire and also to invest directly into treatment and recovery.
Gillan Williams
