Ambassador Q&A with cold water swimmer Rebekah

Open / Cold Water Swimmer Rebekah

Rebekah is a beach lifeguard, passionate open / cold water swimmer, lover of all things surfing & supping and ocean advocate based in the UK. Last year she took a dip every day to raise money for charity to help protect marine life around the UK. She took a swim no matter the weather!

Read on to learn more about Rebekah and what inspires her …

If you were an animal what would you be?

Wow, so many animals to choose from! If I had to choose one I think I’d be a seal…swimming around catching my food, exploring and then sleeping / digesting my food the rest of the day

expert cold water swimmer - the seal!!

What is your favourite thing to do in your spare time?

To go for a sunrise swim, especially in the spring summer when the sun rise is early.

What is your first memory / experience of the ocean?

I have been lucky enough to live so close to the sea and always to go on holiday. So for me I can’t choose a specific memory because it has always been there.

How did you get interested in sustainability / eco living and / or the ocean?

I started volunteering for a few charities here in the UK, Surfers Against Sewage and British Divers Marine Life Rescue. I started off slow in the beginning because I was new and felt I was only one person and didn’t see how could I possibly make a difference. However, I soon learned that even one person can make a huge difference! As a surfer and open / cold water swimmer I use the ocean a lot recreationally and spend a lot of my spare time here so it is like a second nature to want to protect something you are so in awe of. Eco living and sustainability are linked in with trying to protect something you love and wanting to share that passion.

What do you find hardest about advocating for the ocean and / or sustainability?

It’s a real rollercoaster! Some days you feel like ‘damn, we have got this’ and others you feel like ‘wow, we really have still got such a long way to go’, but it’s so important to always come back to why and what is your reason for doing something. For me my WHY is huge and it comes from multiple factors. Why the ocean is important to me, Why I spend so much time here, Why we all rely on the ocean. I always remember my WHY and that reminds me why I keep going.

What is your favourite place to visit?

Anywhere along the coast, my favourite place at the moment is down by my local river, especially at sunrise

Cold water swimmer Rebekah dancing on the beach at sunrise about to go for a swim
Happy times in the Bobtail suit!

Where do you want to travel next and why?

I always go on holiday to somewhere hot, but I think next I would like to visit somewhere cold, like Norway or Iceland.

What keeps you motivated and inspired?

Spending time in nature definitely. Whether I’m walking through my local woods, running out on a sandbank at the beach or sitting with my binoculars at my local nature reserve, nature inspires me. Even if we are feeling down, nature carries on and is a constant source of inspiration.

What advice would you give someone reading this who wants to start helping the ocean?

Go for it, and don’t let anything hold you back. Try and meet other like minded folk if you can, as they can help support and share the journey with you.

Check out Rebekah’s open / cold water swimming journey, ocean explorations and sunrise adventures (ALSO cute seal pics!!) over on her IG @Rebekah_Mermaid. It’s a great place for tips on being a open / cold water swimmer if you want to give it a try too …

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