#162: Neanne Alnafta on the Representation, Fear & Ocean Swimming
Neanne Alnafta doesn’t like labels. But it is hard to introduce someone without them.
So for this moment, I will share that she is a proud Muslim woman, a PhD candidate at the University of Sydney, an ocean swimmer and a volunteer surf lifesaver.
She is also someone who is (and I quote) “freakishly scared” of the ocean.
I came across Neanne’s story after reading an article about an organisation called ‘Swim Sisters’, an all-female swimming squad that empowers women, especially those from Islamic backgrounds, to feel more confident and comfortable in the ocean.
You may know Swim Sisters by its former name - Burkini Babes, a group launched in France in 2016 by a group of women who were banned from wearing burkinis on the beach.
In this conversation, Neanne and I discuss:
- her love of soccer growing up,
- why she felt like swimming and beach life weren’t for her after she started wearing the hijab,
- the power and importance of representation,
- what prompted her to become involved in ocean swimming and then surf lifesaving (despite being “freakishly” scared of the ocean),
- the healing impact of ocean swimming on mental health,
- why fear is not a bad thing.
Get the full show notes for the episode here.
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