Q & A with special guest Sophie Hellyer

We were recently joined by special guest Sophie Hellyer, a powerful voice in the feminist-surf movement. Sophie is a surfer, writer, producer, environmentalist, feminist and public speaker among other things, currently living between the Atlantic coast of Ireland and the smoke of London. Previously an English and British Champion surfer, Sophie feels more at home in the water than on land. We had such fun with her and thought we'd share a few of her thoughts on Drifting in Jersey...

What did you think about our Drift Retreat?

I absolutely loved my Drift mini break. It was so refreshing to get out of the city and on the coast, it’s hard to articulate how quickly your energy and pace shifts when you arrive at the tower and soak in the coastline. I loved that we all shared a big dorm room space, it meant we all felt like a little community and allowed time for moments of real connection and engagement. We mostly arrived as strangers and left as friends. I had plenty of quiet times alongside the surfing, yoga and food foraging, reading my book, gentle strolls and early morning sea swims. The food was unbelievable too. I think I could do with a little drift more often.

What are your thoughts on the need for a digital detox?

I think its absolutely vital we carve out time to disconnect. In this age of hyperconnectivity I think we are somehow all becoming disconnected, walking around with our heads in our phones and missing out on what is happening right in front of us. It felt like such a relief to leave my phone in the drawer for the day and go and enjoy my time with friends in nature and not have to feel guilty or worried about not replying to emails. I really felt the benefits and personally, for mental health, I know I need to do it more often.

What did you feel about detoxing? No alcohol / caffeine / sugar / dairy / gluten?

I love eating a vegan sugar free diet, but find it much harder to do in the ‘real world’. It was so easy to do at drift with Gemas amazing food, I couldn’t really believe how filling it was. I normally eat veggie and non processed but this was much more raw, fresh and local. I’ve actually quit drinking alcohol all together since my return, it just doesn’t compliment my lifestyle and I’ve been finding it really liberating to say No to alcohol.

What do you think about Jersey and St Ouen’s Bay in particular?

Jersey is such a beautiful little gem. St Ouens offers plenty of different surf breaks which work with different tides and winds. It has all the post card pretty quaintness of a little French village, with the convenience of being English speaking and a very short flight from London.

Thanks so much to Sophie for joining us and inspiring us to get in the sea, whatever the weather. You can check out what she's up to here.