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Dee Newell.

Member of the Irish Defence Force, Open Water Sea Swimmer.

Co. Galway.

“You can turn people off if you’re too in their face, so now I show a positive alternative and lead by example rather than by instruction”

THE STORY

Meet Dee or Dee from the Sea. She’s an Irish Open Water Sea Swimmer who advocates sea swimming to feel good and uses her platform to promote sustainable solutions. What started out as a competitive sport that takes her from the English Channel to Antartica has spawned a connection to something a little deeper; nature and community.

In 2016 Dee went to Tenerife, where a chat with friends prompted conversation around the levels of pollution that had corrupted a once magical mecca of freediving. This conversation was her ‘a-ha’ moment that made her acutely aware of her impact on the environment and kickstarted her sustainability journey and taking a serious stand against single-use plastic.

Dee’s swimming experiences give her an understanding and platform to talk about the importance of conservervation and ocean advocacy but nothing compares to Dee’s big joy - sharing her love of the ocean with others. She encourages people to dip, to notice and just to be in the sea. She organises beach cleans, blogs about plastic-free solutions and arranges community swims. Her big hitter ‘Deeswimber’ is a 20 day charity challenge to encourage the community to go for a dip in a pond, a pool or a puddle. It’s a chance to get people intimate with the water (safely) and connected to their place and community. “I feel like the sea has brought a lot for me, and I kind of want to share that”.

THE WHY

It's nice when you see how you can help people. I know first hand the sea's ability to help people, I just love it.

THE HOPE

COVID kinda gives me hope. It shows us that we are able to change, when we have to change. It gave us space to slow down, connect to what was around us and realise that we need nature and wild spaces.

THE CHALLENGE

Choose a nice day, pick a low tide, find somewhere with a lifeguard or someone with a friendly face and ask for a safe spot to swim. You don’t even need to commit to a swim, just have a dip and enjoy.

THE RECCOMMENDATION

BOOK: How to save your planet one object at a time. Dr Tara Shine.
BOOK: Stories From The Deep - Ken O’Sullivan.

To find out more visit www.deefromthesea.com or follow her on Instagram- dee_from_the_sea