In June I had the pleasure of having a meeting with a very determined and positive woman called Debbie Anne Turnbull. Debbie has been through a horrible situation losing her wonderful son Christopher who drowned in Capel Curig (a popular village in the heart of Snowdonia). Although devastated, Debbie decided to move forward positively and created River and Sea Sense (RASS), a charitable organisation aiming to educate kids about the dangers and safety needed to be on and around the water. Debbie’s story really moved me.
As my life revolves around the water, I’ve learned to respect its power. You quickly realise that mother nature is more powerful than you ever could be. RASS isn’t about scaring you; it’s about teaching you how to deal with these environments if things go wrong. I’ve been lucky to experience the absolute beauty and joy the ocean has to offer, and Debbie is passionate about teaching others to enjoy the water safely. Debbie travelled to schools and taught water safety to students and teachers alike. So far, RASS has educated over 600,000 people and aims to make it to a million, touching hearts across the country (which Debbie has probably already achieved). RASS now has a team of ambassadors who go and teach what Debbie has taught for years, telling her story and educating on topics such as cold-water shock, underwater hazards, temperature, currents, peer pressure, tombstoning, and much more.
Through the RYA and first aid courses I have learnt about these topics, but if it wasn’t for me sailing, I wouldn’t know much about them – learning about RASS I realised just how important it is. Debbie is amazing, so inspirational and dedicated to the cause, and I feel very grateful to have had the opportunity to meet her.
With doing a high-performance sport like foiling racing you accept that there are certain risks, and you have to push yourself to improve. Having the knowledge about the dangers surrounding your activity is so important so that you can risk assess and stay as safe as possible. This is a main priority for me on the water.
A huge thank you to Debbie for giving me some of her time and sharing her story - what a wonderful person you are. Keep doing what you’re doing!
Attached is a link to the website home - River & Sea Sense (riverandseasense.com)
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