There's a palpable sense of purpose in the room as Brendon Prince walks in. Known for his record-breaking circumnavigation of the UK on a paddleboard, in 2021, this is the man who took water safety advocacy from the shorelines of Britain into the international arena. Yet, while his achievements on the water are awe-inspiring, it's his commitment to creating safer waters that truly establishes him as a force of nature.
"I used to wake up at the crack of dawn, my mind stormy with the haunting faces of those I couldn't save," Brendon, a former teacher and lifeguard, confides. “These weren't just nightmares; they were echoes of real lives. Lives that slipped through the cracks because in those decisive moments in the water, they simply didn't know what to do”.
He pauses, allowing the weight of his words to settle with me. "For a while, I bottled it up, but it quickly became very unhealthy. Opening up and talking about it helped. It became a form of therapy—not just for me but for countless others who've been through the high-stakes situations I've faced.”
His gaze lifts, clarity in his eyes. "It's therapeutic because it bridges a gap—between reality and awareness, between tragedy and actionable knowledge. What I've found in speaking openly about this is that people suddenly relate. They might not have faced a RIP Current, but they’ve faced something—a moment where decision-making becomes a matter of life or death.”
"Today, those faces serve a different role in my life," he continues. "It's as if they've become my silent partners in this quest. They're the faces that fuel my work now. They are the unspoken voices that spur me to educate, advocate, and inspire. They are my urgent 'why,' the poignant reminders that every moment is a chance to make a difference."
In listening to Brendon, you quickly realise that isn’t your everyday motivational talk. He has lived through situations most people only see in heart-stopping documentaries. "People are drowning because they don't know what to do. But it doesn’t have to be complicated. Simple strategies like 'Stop. Look. Listen. Float.' can save lives. But first, people have to be educated.”
The adventurous spirit that led him to circumnavigate the UK, cross the Severn Estuary & most recently live for 8 days on a paddle board, serves as a metaphor for what Brendon aims to provide. ”When you're miles from shore, when every paddle is a dialogue between you and nature, that's when you really understand the present moment. And that's an incredibly rare thing," he says. It's this resonating sense of purpose that's at the core of his speaking engagements. Whether it's an audience of high-performance athletes or Fortune 500 leaders, his lessons in situational awareness and decision-making under stress strike a universal chord. Closer to home, his charity Above Water, embodies a potent blend of advocacy and hands-on intervention, serving as a rallying cry for communal awareness and shared responsibility. "It's a self-inflicted debt that obviously you didn't save that particular person. So you're going to do whatever you can to try and save as many others as possible," Brendon muses. "And that's all cool. It's all good. It’s a part of my story and it’s a huge motivator every day. If you're struggling to get up at 4:00am to do something, you only need to see one of those faces and you're on it." One of his most compelling narratives centres around the nuanced concept of control. "Out there, in the heart of the storm, you're not in control, you're never in control. But the beauty is, it doesn't matter. What matters is the preparedness, the education, the mindfulness that you bring to the table.” His words aren't just sentences; they're lifelines thrown out to each and every one of us. "The storms come for all of us, in business, in life, and yes, sometimes, in the water. But we have a choice. We can panic, or we can be prepared. We can drown, or we can float. But it all starts with being aware, being educated, and most importantly, being ready to face the storms, even when we're out of control.” As we bring the conversation to a close, Brendon's eyes catch the sunlight, mirroring the very ocean he navigates—a world of endless complexities, dangers, and unimaginable beauties. It's a reflection of the message he carries, a synthesis of hard-won wisdom, practical strategies, and an undying sense of hope. Brendon Prince isn't just saving lives; he's altering the course of how we perceive safety, community, and even destiny. In facing down the perils of the deep, he's emerged with hard-won insights that have far-reaching implications—on land and sea, in business and life. And it's this multidimensional wisdom, coupled with his relentless pursuit of actionable solutions, that establishes him as a true leader in his field. The man might have circumnavigated the UK, but in truth, he's just getting started on a journey whose boundaries seem as limitless as the oceans he's vowed to make safer.