Stand Up Paddle Boarding Event To Raise Awareness For Kids With Cystic Fibrosis

NEWPORT BEACH (CBS) — For many of us, a trip to the beach just means fun in the sun and the water, but for kids and young adults with cystic fibrosis, it can be natural medicine.

"We all have cystic fibrosis. It's a genetic disease that causes mucus to go into our lungs and makes it harder to breathe and harder for your body to function," said 17-year-old Carly Lindmeier of her and her friends 11-year-old Taylor Ross and 6-year-old Ojaio Reynolds.

CBS2 spoke with three girls, as they were out doing SUP or stand up paddle boarding, and they said ocean water sports and playing at the beach makes them feel better.

Research now shows they may be right -- the ocean has been found to be a natural treatment for people with cystic fibrosis. Doctors say the salty mist from the water can help break up that thick mucus in the lungs and helps ease breathing.

Approximately 30,000 children and young adults suffer from cystic fibrosis, a condition with no known cure. The average lifespan for someone with the disease is 37 years old.

"Sometimes you wish, 'Why me and sometimes you just roll with it,'" Ross said.

Lisa Vogel, president of NEXT Swimwear, has teamed up with the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation created the first Next National SUP Day. The event will be held on June 10 to celebrate SUP and what the sport does for kids with CF.

The event will be celebrated at locations nationwide. In Southern California, Newport Beach will have the largest event with lots of fun, entertainment and professional paddlers giving free clinics for kids with CF, as well as the general public. Organizers say everyone is welcome to participate.

"It's amazing to see these kids out on the water, learning how to paddle from some of our NEXT brand ambassadors and really getting to open up their lungs and feel like how you and I do on a daily basis," Vogel said.

For more on National SUP Day go to: http://nationalsupday.com/

To read more about the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation visit: http://www.cff.org/

To find your local chapter of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation go to: http://www.cff.org/Chapters/sca