Man In Wheelchair Enjoys 1st Beach Day Ever In Long Branch

LONG BRANCH, NJ — Kevin Mota uses a wheelchair and never got to enjoy a day at the beach before. He finally experienced swimming and surfing in the ocean at Long Branch.

Mota crossed the sand in a wheeled beach chair, which floated in the water. Lifeguards, beach staff, ocean rescue and EMTs helped make Mota's beach day possible.

The Red Bulls called Mota "one of our most dedicated supporters." He has evolved to "superfan" status and is a member of the Viking Army, a collection of boisterous Red Bull New York supporters who share a tremendous passion for the MLS team.

He started a GoFundMe in 2017 for a motorized wheelchair in 2010. The RBNY fanbase helped Mota reach his goal in a few months. Then the Red Bulls doubled it. Several Red Bulls players, including Mota's favorite, Luis Robles, made donations too.

The Viking Army chose Long Branch for this year's annual beach day. Some of its board members met with Long Branch lifeguard Brian Shea.

As they watched the women's World Cup with Shea, they loved the idea of holding the organization's beach day in Long Branch. Coincidentally, Red Bulls midfielder Sean Davis was born in Long Branch.

"Being that Kevin is such a big part of the Viking Army, we wanted to have Kevin as involved as possible," Shea said.

Shea and lifeguard David Kawut made it happen. The lifeguards helped Mota surf some waves and relax on the water.

See Mota surf below:

"An unforgettable experience for Kevin Mota and we are so proud to be part of it. Thanks to all that made this possible.," Viking Army SC wrote on its Facebook page.

Watch this video to learn more about Mota:

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