The shining star of this program was Katherine Diaz, a 22-year-old surfer who was tragically struck and killed by lightning as she exited the water at her home break in El Tunco on March 19th. The coastal communities are reeling from the void created by this tragedy, but we would like to turn this nightmare into a positive movement in memory of Katy. The ESA national athletics programs face a variety of challenges, and this program hopes to address the problems with funding, training, exposure, and ability to travel with biannual trips to performance and industry destinations so that the name Katherine Diaz will continue to be an inspiration to female and male ESA surfers for generations to come.

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In commemoration of the late Katy Diaz, we aim to create a sustainable surf, travel, and development program that includes the BTC community as a sponsor/contributor to maximize the talent of ESA surfers and the positive impact that surfing and tourism can have on the development of the coastal communities in El Salvador.