Empowering Women & Girls in our Community
It All Started with a Question…
Spotted in the waves off Folly Beach, our founders watched a fellow female surfer and wondered:
How is she so confident?
In a traditionally male-dominated sport, we realized that women needed a safe space to grow. We created Waves 4 Women, a nonprofit, to provide that strength in numbers.
There is strength in numbers to try new things and grow. As a team, we created clinics to build confidence and connection in the waves through wellness skills so we can thrive together!
More than Just Surfing
Surf therapy is the intentional combination of wellness education, professional surf instruction and mindfulness. We use the ocean as a classroom to help participants discover personal strengths and a true sense of belonging.
Skill Building
Professional group surf instruction tailored to all levels.
Wellness Discussions
Guided conversations on overcoming adversity and growth mindsets.
Community
Developing healthy relationships in a safe, supportive "pod" of women and girls.
Ride the Wave to a Stronger You
Participants don't just leave with a new hobby, they leave with life skills:
Emotional Resilience: Learn to manage anxiety, fear & discomfort
Mindfulness: Practice being present in the moment without judgment.
Growth Mindset: Reframe negative self-talk and set healthy goals.
Connection: Increase trust in yourself and your community.
Meet the Founders
Erin Jones
LISW-CP
Co-Founder & Board member
Sarah Butler
Executive Director
& Legal Counsel
Nicole ‘Sparky’ Fulk
Surf &
Programs Director
Kathie Watson
Wellness &
Social Media Director
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Sarah recently retired from her 25-year legal practice & started her new role as Executive Director & General Counsel for the non-profit Waves 4 Women. Sarah is so excited to be a leader for W4W !
When Sarah was in private practice, she was a civil defense attorney and enjoyed construction litigation and personal injury defense. She is a proud Past President of the South Carolina Defense Trial Attorneys' Association (SCDTAA). Sarah received numerous awards during her 25 year practice such as Leader in Law and Influential Women in Law.
A frequent public speaker, Sarah has presented on many legal topics but in recent years her speaking engagements have focused on ethics and mental health. She has presented on topics such as Diversity & Inclusion, Civility in Legal Practice, Work Life Balance, Working Women, Burnout & Stress, Mental Health & Wellness. Sarah’s personal experiences with stress, mental health & wellness and her love of the ocean lead her to the Waves 4 Women community.
Sarah remains active with the South Carolina Defense Trial Attorneys’ Association. She is also a member of the South Carolina Bar Association, the South Carolina Women Lawyers Association, the Defense Research Institute, Litigation Counsel of America, and the Claims & Litigation Management Alliance. Sarah is also a Certified Professional Life Coach, completing her training in 2023, and a Red Cross certified professional lifeguard, completing that training in 2024.
In her new role with Waves 4 Women, Sarah is excited to engage and collaborate with other nonprofit organizations and embrace the NPO community in South Carolina. She is dedicated to strengthen funding for its successful programs and to honor the mission, vision and values of the W4W founders.
When she is not working, Sarah enjoys life on Folly Beach with her husband, Drew, who is also an attorney, and their four children. Sarah and her family love anything to do with the ocean. They have recently traveled in the Adriatic Sea and the Caribbean Sea and can often be found boating, snorkeling, paddle boarding, kayaking and surfing.
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SparkyNicoll began with W4W as a volunteer surf instructor in 2021. At that time Sparky was a Photographer a Circus Artist & worked in dance studios teaching acrobatics. Sparky was in the middle of a divorce & looking for more work to support herself and her animals. Attending the W4W volunteer interest meeting in 2021 was the best decision she made that year as it led to her to her current place with Waves4Women.
Athletics has always been consistent in Sparky’s life, from Waterskiing as s baby, competitive swimming, wake & snowboarding, skating, surfing, Cross Country & Track (a few marathons). Around 18 Sparky began studying yoga at her college, and things began to shift.
Yoga opened up her tight body and helped strengthen her internal organs. No longer stuck painting her feelings on canvases, Sparky took a hint from her cousin and began Performance Art. She studied Aerial Acrobatics & other Circus Arts, like dancing with Fire in Washington DC, Richmond & Baltimore- Soon after began performing and training others. Since 2010, Sparky has been in studios and gyms ballrooms & coliseums up and down the East Coast of the U.S. sharing her dances and instructing others how to safely express their bodies in the Flow Arts.
Sparky completed her Bachelor of Arts at Christopher Newport University in Va in 2007. She studied World Religion and Philosophy. A lifelong student in the Spiritual Arts, her focus remains heart led by healing and educating others on how they can embrace their Spiritual side.
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