History made: North Myrtle Beach surfer wins gold at Special Olympics USA Games

Anthony Biondo smiles and is modest about the history he made last month in Orlando.

He became the first-ever gold medal winner in surfing at the Special Olympics USA Games. The event has been held for a number of years but this was the first time surfing has been included as one of the Olympic events.

Biondo just grins and says, “It’s pretty cool” when describing his feat. He’s been competing in local and regional competitions since he was 8. He grabbed his first wave at the Cherry Grove Pier when he was 6 and has been in love with the sport ever since.

For Biondo, surfing is much more than just a hobby or pastime. He was diagnosed with autism around the age of 5. When life gets too much for him, surfing is a way to bring everything back into focus.

“It’s very calming,” he said. “I taught myself how to surf. It’s hard work but worth it.”

His mom Tracy said because of his autism, school has always been tough for her son. He had every kind of therapy available to young students with autism. But when he was having a really bad day, she would pick him up from school and head to the beach.

“It was the perfect therapy for him,” she said. “It’s where he feels the most comfortable.”

At the age of 9, Biondo was determined to get a new surfboard.

“For birthdays and Christmas, he just asked for money and put it in a jar in his room,” his mom said. “He ended up saving $700. It was that important to him.”

Tracy said her son has to really concentrate on doing the little things that most people take for granted.

“His right and left brain parts don’t communicate with each other as they should,” she said. “Sometimes he has to do something repetitively to get it, such as learning new surfing moves or just writing something.”

But, she added, he’s mechanical. He loves working on things like car engines.

“He says he can see things the way they’re supposed to be even without a guideline such as following a wire all the way through a motor,” his mom explained. “He said his mind is like a Google map that you move with your fingers.”