1. What do you consider your greatest achievement?
Everything I do is blue health related so whilst my business is a blue health coaching business, the volunteering activities I get involved with also link to protecting the marine environment - there is a natural symbiosis and what can appear separate pursuits are in fact intrinsically intertwined.
I am hugely proud of the ICF accredited blue health coach program Going Coastal Blue launched during 2020, having spent over twelve years developing this Coaching modality it is such a joy to share these skills with other Coaches. This is the first and currently only globally recognised professional coaching qualification that puts ocean-centric applied environmental psychology at the very heart of it. My husband and I received the Blue Mind Award in 2018 for demonstrating devotion to ocean health and marine life and that was quite an honour.
In respect of volunteering 2021 has been a high, receiving an award from BDMLR for outstanding contribution to the protection of marine wildlife. I project managed the build of Cornwall Seal Hospital during the summer having spent the previous winter caring for 139 seals at our home - a temporary hospital. Thankfully not all 139 were with us at the same time... and we of course had a team of amazing peers and volunteers who are equally committed to protecting seals. I also had the opportunity to spend five weeks on the Isles of Scilly playing a key role within a small team monitoring and supporting an arctic walrus who was lost - our actions undoubtedly enabled this magnificent animal to gain the strength required to safely return Northwards.
I guess when you ask about achievements nothing is ever achieved as an individual, so whilst aspects of the above were certainly led by myself, each achievement is the combination of the efforts and enthusiasm of many, and I have appreciated collaborating with some amazing people.
2. What motivates you to do what you do?
I am in awe of our planet and the amazingly diverse life upon it. Even in my lifetime I have seen a shift in the health of our coastal locations and an increase in convenience purchasing and businesses making decisions that are not necessarily healthy ones for the long term health of our planet. I am motivated to enable coaching clients to truly consider the choices they make from a perspective of connection and to transcend the kind of goal setting that is simply for personal gain / power / acquisition etc. My dream is that we each become more consistently mindful of the compromises we make on a day to day basis and of course we are always weighing up pros and cons. I would love business leaders to recognise the interconnections of all things, and to show up in way that emphasises environmental, social, psychological and physical coherence.... oh and for the phrase work / life balance to be a thing of the past.
3. What do you owe your mother?
Well if you mean what am I grateful to my mother for... her love of the ocean, quick wit and dry humour is something I remember fondly. She was pretty complex and struggled with alcohol addiction making her inconsistent, and yet in the moments we saw the real Sally-Faith she was a beautiful soul who was extremely kind hearted. When she was diagnosed with a terminal illness back in late 2005, long held frustration relating to her volatile behaviour dissolved, becoming completely irrelevant. As an NLP Trainer the concept of people being more than the sum of their behaviour was all too familiar and yet the awakening and the depth of compassion I felt when facing the reality of mortality was something that fundamentally shifted my world view. I love my Mum, she had a lot of sadness in her life and I realise how comparatively simple the world I inhabit is. The loss of my Mum taught me to have gratitude for each day and growing up with a Mum whose mood was less than easy to navigate I am certain provided me with many of the life skills I rely on as a professional Coach.
4. Which women inspire you and why?
There are so many and so I have chosen three otherwise this will be a VERY long answer.
Dr Sylvia Earle is the first that comes to mind - a champion for the ocean and absolute powerhouse. Sylvia is somebody who leads from a place of compassion, is creative in the way she approaches engaging others to love and protect the marine environment and she is courageous in challenging those in power to wake up. Sylvia inspires me to learn more about the ocean and the circular economy and to lean into both the awe and sadness I feel when I connect with the marine environment and witness the plight of our seas. Embracing this non-duality keeps me focussed on what really matters and motivates me to do more to advocate for the ocean and marine life at every opportunity. ‘Protect what you love’ is at the core of Sylvia's work.
A good friend (who I haven't seen in ages, but time and distance does not reduce the love I have for this lady) Fiona Crump has supported action to reduce food poverty. Not only volunteering at the Cornwall food bank, last year when running her cafe business in Falmouth she decided to give away lunches to those in need during the school holidays. She led this initiative from a place of trust being a heart-led leader. I have such admiration for Fiona, she is kind and honest, and a great source of counsel when the mind is muddled. She is a role model for following your passion, problem solving and stepping into a place of action. An extremely authentic individual who I trust implicitly - Fiona inspires me to be fearless in my pursuit of the causes close to my heart.
Julie Starke is another great friend and such an inspiration, an excellent communicator she arrives at any conversation with an energy that is fully present and attentive, warm and seeking to explore and help. Julie is an ideas person and has been at the heart of some amazing and innovative projects not least bringing Blue Mind into a more collective consciousness. A queen of interpreting the zeitgeist and encouraging social and environmental conscience, Julie is observant, articulate and has a sharp sense of humour which is one of the many things I love about her. Above all Julie is one of the most empathic people I know, she celebrates others and lifts them up, she is truly collaborative. Much as Coaches are there to enable and elevate their clients as a creative consultant Julie can often be an unsung hero being exceptionally generous with her support and guidance. Julie inspires me to view the world as connected, to dial my ego down and to be innovative, considerate and connected in the way I approach any challenge.
Essentially... women who have a heart led purpose and are fluid yet tenacious in their pursuit of collective wellbeing seem to deeply inspire me.
5. What are you reading?
Plenty of academic papers at the moment, blue health and neuroscience related, plus some proof reading of a couple of peers books about NLP and coaching. I am re-reading Deep currently by James Nestor because I love the way James writes, his book Breathe is amazing too. I also was clearing out some books recently and got pulled back into re-reading a couple so these are not new but I am loving a book called One Consciousness (an analysis of the comedy of Bill Hicks) by Paul Outhwaite... and The Ocean is Alive (revisioning our relationship with the Ocean) by Glenn Edney.
6. What gender barriers have you had to hurdle?
I haven't experienced a huge amount of these directly I don't believe. Of course I have come across behaviour of others that could be undermining if I allowed it to be (and this has not been limited to a gender dynamic - more a case of individuals). I think my formative years (despite going to an all girls grammar school), felt pretty gender neutral and I was encouraged to be independent, resilient and work hard for the causes I believe in. I'd say this year I came across a couple of situations where I was on the receiving end of actions from others (mainly men) that sought to intimidate and I have had other examples when working in very masculine dominated environments where a guy might speak past me to the other guy assuming "he" was in charge - but I largely found this amusing, the latter being an indicator of either lack of awareness due to social conditioning and the former coming from fear and insecurity.
Whilst not an awful lot phases me, I do often work with females who have felt their voice has been unheard or their potential limited through gender barriers. With these coaching clients I seek to build their sense of self and align their decision making so that they can show up fully in the world and shine a lot more brightly. I like to think of people as individuals, male / female / non binary / however people self define. There is certainly work to do around equality in a much broader sense of course.
7. How can the world be made a better place for women?
Female energy brings with it a high degree of empathy and as a water lover there is a natural fluidity to this. I love spending time with my girl friends and my male friends who have a lot of feminine energy. The opposite is true also, I love coaching guys and women with a lot of masculine energy - imbalance can provoke the most profound conversations and insights.
I have a non-dualistic world view and see that all is understood through contrast. A world without women is thought and consciousness without energy and creation, (for those into Tantric cosmology), or Yang without Yin if Chinese philosophy is your thing.
The world can be made better for ALL (including women) by acknowledging and valuing complementarity, by encouraging greater compassion, by shining a light on those who may not not see their light themselves and recognising that our very nature wills us to be connected and collaborative for the health of ourselves and the planet.
8. Describe your perfect day?
I quite love imperfect days, days that offer a bit of edge, and a chance to learn and grow.
A gentle or super enjoyable day might involve spending some time with wildlife. Perhaps a swim where some seals come and say hi, or a walk at the coast with my hubs Julian and our doggo Goose. The weather can be whatever it is, but the ocean is a given - since the best days involve time in and near wild water. Seven Bays is a very happy place for me - Treyarnon and Constantine Bay particularly.
I enjoy days where I can be of service - so days when called out to help wildlife can be distressing but also rewarding - rare days like successfully refloating a stranded dolphin is always a heart awakening experience - although I'd rather they don't get in trouble of course. But the sense of teamwork and camaraderie is palpable. Running big community beach cleans as an SAS Rep, or recovering massive ghostnets in my role with ghostnetbusters is also something I love doing and a great way to spend a day feeling you have made a difference with like minded and like hearted people.
Pretty much days involving water, wildlife, lovely people and a sense of purpose and service.
9. We've noticed there really aren't many (if any) statues of women around Cornwall - who would you like to see remembered?
Is there a statue of Rowena Cade? She is a bit of a legend for sure and I love how her tenacity created a space for the arts that so beautifully respects and celebrates the nature around it. Her story has so many lessons for women.
10. Give us a tip?
We ARE the environment we inhabit... please look after the ocean.
Lizzi Larbalestier is an award-winning Blue Health Coach and environmental activist based in Perranporth, Cornwall. She created the ICF accredited blue health coach program with Going Coastal Blue, the first and currently only globally recognised professional coaching qualification that puts ocean-centric applied environmental psychology at the very heart. She and her husband received the Blue Mind Award in 2018 for demonstrating devotion to ocean health and marine life.
