Welcome!
Hello and welcome to the Sea Dreamers newsletter! Each month, we’ll be sharing updates on upcoming events and community highlights, in tandem with Cat’s newsletter. Thank you for being part of our mission to build more inclusive ocean spaces!
May Event Recap:
We had several successful Sea Dreamers events occur in May, including a beach clean-up and open swim in Santa Cruz, a morning spent celebrating Mother’s Day in SF, a beginner-friendly open swim in Boca Raton, FL, and another ocean dip in Santa Barbara to round out the month.
We’re incredibly grateful to all of our Ambassadors who allow us to reach so many different communities. Special shoutouts to Jody Alexander and Vanessa Bonebrake who both hosted a community engagement for the first time!
Ventura, Anacapa, & Santa Barbara
Cat and I took a quick business trip to Santa Barbara, which was highly productive and included a Swim California event at Topa Topa Brewing in Ventura on Friday evening, a 10-mile swim circumnavigating Anacapa on Saturday, and a Sea Dreamers event in Santa Barbara on Sunday morning.
Topa Topa Panel
Natasha, Cat, & Maya roadtrip!!
We can not express enough thanks to Sea Dreamers board member and friend Sarah Enix, who was immensely generous with her time and support throughout the entire weekend to help events and swims run smoothly.
Sarah kayaked 10.5 miles and did not get nearly enough attention for it.
Also along for the ride were Bex Wyant and Natasha Benjamin, both shooting content for Cat and both absolute heroes. We had a dauntingly packed weekend planned and could not have pulled it off without being surrounded by such an amazing team.
Santa Barbara Sea Dreamers Event
As the team prepares for Swim California, I've found myself wishing more people could see the level of diligence Cat brings not only to her training and planning, but also to the people around her. While preparing for a swim of this magnitude, she continues to foster community, invest in relationships, and show up for others in ways that can go unseen.
In January, I started a new full-time job while continuing to work part-time for Sea Dreamers. Through all of that chaos, and plenty of her own, Cat has consistently met me with grace, kindness, and support as both a boss and a mentor. She has opened doors and created opportunities I genuinely never could have imagined for myself.
Cat, thank you for inviting me along on your adventures. I'm sorry I wasn't as excited as you to see a bat ray on mile nine. I was tired. But genuinely, to say I'm grateful to have met you doesn't begin to cover it. Watching you chase big dreams while bringing so many people along with you has been a great privilege.
Swim California Updates
I remember writing about how unreal it felt that we were finally in the year Swim California was starting in the January Sea Dreamers newsletter. Fast forward three days (give or take?) and now it’s weeks away. It's been amazing to watch years of dreaming and planning turn into something real, and I’m incredibly excited for Cat and the team.
As Swim California gets underway, we'll be sharing updates, stories from the water, and ways to follow along. Be sure to stay connected, spread the word, and help us cheer the team on as they take their first strokes down the California coast.
Cat, Maya, and Sarah circumnavigating Anacapa
