Arran Strong, a 20-year-old English surfer living in Portugal, has been battling Alpha 1 antitrypsin deficiency since he was three months old, a disease caused by a hereditary genetic disorder that can cause chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in the third and fourth decades of life.

During his first years of life, he went from hospital to hospital undergoing tests and check-ups. The disease causes a lack of a protein that protects the lungs and liver.

At the age of seven, his mother took him to his first surfing lesson and everything changed. Three years later, he was already in his first competition and then moved to the wave-rich town of Ericeira, in Portugal.

“It’s the freshest air, it’s good for your breathing, it’s calming and it’s healing for me to be surrounded by water. (The ocean) is the place where I can forget all my troubles,” Strong told The Inertia.

The Englishman participated in the European Pro Junior Tour, and in 2017 he finished fifth in the European Under 18s, which is why he participated in the WSL World Championship in Australia.

Strong saw the ocean as a solution and a place of relaxation: “It’s the only place where I don’t really think about my illness and where all my worries disappear. It’s my escape route,” she added.

Among his achievements outside the water is helping other people with the same illness. Since 2017 he has been an ambassador for the Happy Air Foundation, created in 2008 by his mother to help people with respiratory illnesses and their families. “I want to help people overcome it and give them confidence that it is possible. I think it is important to raise awareness, so that people are not afraid to share their feelings or anything they have a problem with,” he added.

Last year Strong went on a surf trip with someone who also suffers from Alpha 1 Antitrypsin Deficiency and described it as an "intense and powerful" experience.