IMPERIAL BEACH, Calif. (KGTV) — An Imperial Beach father living with terminal brain cancer didn't just meet his New Year's goal of surfing 365 waves in 2025 — he tripled it.
Matt Henry, also known as Imperial Beach Dad, set out to surf one wave for every day of the year back in January. By October, he had already hit that milestone, but he kept going.
"Yeah, so I set a goal for 365 waves, which seemed like a big goal at the time," Henry said.
Henry is living with terminal brain cancer so for him, meeting this goal meant everything.
"So it's pretty rad. I survived another year," Henry said.
Henry made the most of 2025, traveling by bus with his wife and six children and surfing all over the country.
"I got to surf in a river. That was pretty cool. I got to surf on a sand dune," Henry said. "I was actually the first to surf Fort Myers in the Gulf of America. They renamed it like the day we were there."
When Henry told his wife Christy that he had met his original goal, she immediately set a new challenge for him.
"She's like, the new goal needs to be 1,000. I was like, 1,000 waves? OK," Henry said.
Henry said to date, he's surfed more than 1,100 waves, which is three times his original goal of 365. The triple-digit number held special significance for him.
"I decided, you know what? If I move the goal one more time, I could get 365 waves three times, and I've outlived my prognosis three times, so how cool would that be?" Henry said.
Achieving this goal wasn't easy. Henry pushed through significant challenges, from breaking boards to losing GoPros, but worst of all, having seizures while surfing.
"All your nerve endings start firing because a tumor is pressing on them," Henry said. "Everything goes quiet, you have this weird taste in your mouth, and all that is really terrifying because it's your fight or flight reflex freaking out."
However, Henry's positive approach to life and his family's unwavering support helped make 2025 a year of success.
"Definitely staying positive is a huge weapon against any adversity, right? And prayer," Henry said.
Henry's son Liam also treasured the time they spent together on the water.
"It was really special, and when you don't know how much time you're gonna have left with your dad, it was just such a blessing to be able to hang out with him, and I got to ride a lot of the waves with him, like high fives," Liam Henry said.
Henry's journey will continue in 2026. To follow him on his socials, search @imperialbeachdad.
