Oly Rush
"The sound of the ocean calms the commotion!"

Hey, my name is Oly Rush, I'm a swimmer, ocean advocate and environmental campaigner, and I love what I do! 

From a very early age I was surrounded by water, I trained as a competitive swimmer and summer holidays were often spent on the coast, camping in Cornwall. I’d be in the sea all day body-boarding, then playing in the rock pools, marvelling at the wonderful sea creatures! I couldn't seem to get enough! In the mornings I wake up to the sound of the waves crashing on the rugged coastline, and fall asleep at night listening to them. I was then and still am, drawn to the ocean. 

Spending all this time around the sea and along the coastline I've been increasingly aware of the huge issue that is plastic pollution. There are many issues our planet is facing and I believe plastic pollution is a great place to start the change that is needed. It's easy to get involved in actively helping to clean up and reduce our use. It can be the very catalyst we need to help us look at other areas of our lives and the impact they might be having on this fragile, beautiful planet. 
 
In recent years I've been aiming to raise awareness about plastic pollution through one of my passions, distance swimming. The swims have been growing year on year, each getting longer and harder but in doing so also reaching more people, creating the ripple effect needed to combat such a mind boggling issue. I have tried to slow my pace of life down as much as I can, however I'm currently juggling between earning enough to pay the bills, renovate my house, setting up a charity, regular beach cleans and training for some rather daunting awareness swims. The slowing pace of life isn't all that successful but it's one heck of a journey! 

I guess if I could sum it up in one sentence I'd say this - I want to enjoy my short existence on this planet but tread as lightly as I can, allowing space for other creatures to also thrive.


You can find me on Instagram as @projectplanet.earth