Ruth Osborn | Professional Freediver | Surfer | Ocean Advocate | UK | Ibiza
Ruth was born in the Highlands of Scotland but grew up in different places - mostly in Scotland but with a few years spent in England and Hong Kong.
In 2007, she made Ibiza her base and since 2011, she spends her summers in Ibiza and winters travelling. Her travels initially took her surfing and now they take her to where she can train and compete in freediving. Ruth is now one of the UK’s best freedivers, and we are very excited to follow her amazing achievements!
@nachopelaezphotography
What are the fondest memories from your upbringing that you feel impacted your life choices and lifestyle today?
Moving to Hong Kong from a small rural village in the Highlands of Scotland when I was 11 years old (and then back again to a different part of Scotland when I was 14) really gave me the impression the world is not such a big place and really opened my eyes to other ways of life, other cultures, and religions.
My first truly submersive underwater experience was when I was 14 and old enough to do a scuba certification. I LOVED it, even if it was impossible to see anything - the visibility was so bad in the South China Sea.
I always remember swimming and loving swimming. My mum had a bad experience learning to swim and not wanting me to have the same, took me to the water from a very early age. Then I was in lessons from 4 years old and in a swim team from 8-18 years old. A family holiday to Florida when I was 9 years old, was the best because everywhere we stayed had a swimming pool - I remember thinking what a dream it would be to have a place with a pool. I loved the water so much, and that’s never changed.
I’ve now created my work around it, teaching in private pools in Ibiza. Also I have psoriasis - an autoimmune disease affecting the skin that clears up with UVB rays. I have created my life to be in the sun to help my skin, and also to look after my body, mind and skin the best I can.
Images by: @evsychev
What/who currently inspires you?
So much inspires me - simple stories of random acts of kindness; the beauty and complexities of nature; environmental activists taking smart direct actions such as the Greenpeace activists occupying Shell platforms or all involved in Sea Shepard; anyone making any kind of change in their daily lives to improve themselves and reduce the impact they have on the environment.
Images by: @daanverhoevenfreediver
What path did you choose after leaving school?
I went straight to University to do a BA(Hons) in Politics and Modern History followed by an MA(Econ) in International Relations - I had dreams of becoming a diplomat. After University I worked in social and economic regeneration, first in the voluntary sector, and then in the public sector. I wouldn’t say I chose this path, rather it was a path presented to me and a good one to go down at the time.
In 2006 I went on a yoga holiday to Ibiza, and it was then, that I chose my path. I was inspired by others living there and creating their lives and work around things they were passionate about, so I moved to Ibiza in 2007 with a dream that I could make a life and a living there by offering private swimming lessons (it worked very well!!).
Images by: @baristadiver
What do you value most in life?
Peace, honesty, kindness, and compassion.
Images by: @superennyphoto
What would you most like to change in the world/environment today?
Ban war, replace fossil fuels with renewables, and capitalism with egalitarianism.
@fed.under.water
What brings you the most joy?
Diving down into the sea and the deep feeling of peace, presence and connection to myself and to this planet that free diving gives me. Being with marine life - experiences like diving with whale sharks and humpback whales in Southern Baja California and a pod of false killer whales in the Socorro Islands, or when dolphins came to distract us from training in Ibiza and when a manta came to the Blue Hole in Dahab - these moments are magical and they remind me how precious life is on this planet and how we really must care for it.
Seeing different landscapes and soundscapes from the line up from tropical jungle in Costa Rica, to the Moroccan Sahara and the call to prayer, the temples and ceremonies of Bali and the insane blues of the atolls of the Maldives… Watching the sun set as the full moon rises, the full moon set as the sun rises. And any sunrises or sunsets - especially when I’m in the water surfing or swimming. And simple things like driving through the desert at night and seeing stars and shooting stars, being in tune with nature and natural rhythms, sleeping and waking with the sun, travel, road trips, new adventures, being with family and friends…
What advice would you give to anyone looking to follow their dreams?
Love what you are doing on a daily basis, I believe it is love and desire, rather than discipline, that will see you through, although discipline has to be there. Expect that there will be tough times, there will be challenging times, there will be times when things don’t go as you’d hoped. Sometimes despair, exhaustion, self-doubt, worry… all of this is part of realising dreams.
Embrace it all, the highs and the lows. Be prepared to be in it for the long haul, I don’t think many dreams happen overnight. Be prepared to work, to put in the hours and to hold on to your dream when it does get tough. Surround yourself with greatness, get a coach or a mentor. Build solid habits. The small steps you make on a regular basis make a difference. Be true to your word, commit to less, deliver more, deliver beyond expectation.
Ask yourself what can I do now that is going to help me tomorrow? What can I do now that will help me realise my goals? Is what I’m about to do helpful to me? Does it align with my goals and my values? GO FOR IT!! With all your heart and soul.
