OUR AMBASSADORS

The ocean covers 70% of our planet and accounts for 97% of the water on earth. It connects people, provides food and oxygen, regulates our climate by absorbing almost a quarter of the CO2 produced, and is home to a wide variety of species. 250,000 species discovered, when there are estimated to be between 2 and 5 million. So 9 out of 10 species have yet to be discovered.

But the ocean is in danger! Between global warming, plastic pollution, overfishing, loss of biodiversity and habitat destruction, the challenges are enormous.

Our ambassadors have decided to get involved with Pure Ocean to raise public awareness of the importance of protecting the ocean and marine biodiversity, and to publicize the foundation’s actions. Their role, both through their reputation and their activities, is to raise awareness, raise visibility and help support scientific projects.

Convinced that sport is a means of transmission, their commitment is essential to spreading values and convictions based on respect for nature.

Born in Paris, Steven Surina grew up in Egypt and spent his childhood at a diving center owned by his family.

For over a decade, his travels around the world and thousands of dives with sharks have led him to study their behavior, as well as the threats they face and their conservation.

Founder of Shark Education in 2011, he specializes in human-shark interactions and organizes expeditions to discover sharks around the world. In 2017, together with Dr Seret, Steven created the first International Charter for Responsible Shark Ecotourism.

He is one of the few divers to have been able to dive off-cage with the great white shark.

Steven Surina – Human-shark interaction

Gilles Gambini, originally from Nice, discovered freediving through self-taught spearfishing at the age of 10.

In his first season of training at depth, he came 3rd in France and reached -80 metres by the end of the season!

Today, he is a member of the French deep-sea freediving team, with a record of -87 meters. Alongside his training and competitions, he works as a scientific diver, marine biologist, underwater cameraman, scuba diver and freediving and diving instructor.

His ambition? Passing on his passion and raising awareness of the need to preserve the marine environment through his professional activities, his sport and the expeditions in which he participates.

gilles gambini ambassadeur sportif pure ocean

Gilles Gambini – Freediving

20 years old and young high-level athletes, Manon Peyre and Clara-Sofia Stamminger train almost daily with one goal in mind: to be selected for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. With over 10 years of friendship behind them, the duo decided in 2020 to set up an ambitious sports project with the dream of making France shine at the Paris 2024 Olympics. The chemistry between the two sailors soon became apparent, and they went on to achieve promising results, finishing 3rd in the U21 Junior World Championship in 2022.
But that’s not all: our sportswomen are also students: Manon is studying at Paris-Dauphine University, while Clara-Sofia is in physiotherapy school. Their favorite playground? The sea or ocean, of course. Today, Manon and Clara have decided to commit themselves to this cause which is close to their hearts, because it’s necessary to act, and together we can make a difference.

Manon Peyre & Clara-Sofia Stamminger – Navigators

Jessie Kampman, who has been a dinghy and sailing enthusiast since she was a child, discovered kitefoil during her university studies. She has traveled extensively, and practicing this sport has led her to become aware of the degradation of the ocean, her playground, particularly due to plastic pollution.
Today, she has just one goal in mind: the 2024 Olympic Games! Jessie decided to wear the Pure Ocean colors to get involved in the NGO’s actions to raise awareness of the need to protect marine environments.

Jessie Kampman – Kitefoil athlete

A child in the harbor of Marseille, a student in the bay of Aigues-Mortes, Frédéric has always sailed, raced and been passionate about sailing.

This year, he’s taking on a new challenge: the “Global Solo Challenge”, a solo round-the-world race aboard an old aluminum racing boat, to be called “Man of War – Race for Pure Ocean”.

An opportunity to proudly wear the Pure Ocean colors!

Frédéric Switala – Navigator

Ludovic Gérard is passionate about the ocean and sailing!

Having become aware of the pollution of the maritime territory during numerous regattas, he decided to work and raise awareness of environmental issues by carrying out numerous actions for Pure Ocean.

He joined his friend Nicolas Brossay aboard “Solenn For Pure Ocean”, a JPK 1080.

Both skippers have taken part in a number of prestigious regattas under the Pure Ocean banner. In addition to other races, in May 2022 they won the Cap Martinique!

Ludovic Gérard – Navigator

Ambre is a young windsurfer with a bright future and many titles to her name. Having grown up in Martinique, she won the national championships there in 2016 before moving to metropolitan France to join the Pôle France de Voile in Marseille, where she also won the French championships the same year. Since then, a first place in the Med Cup in 2019, a fourth place in the French Championship, a participation in the RSX World Championship… A career that’s off to a flying start. A specialist in sailing in general, Ambre practices the Olympic support, the IQFOIL with her sights set on the 2024 Olympics in Marseille!
Full of determination and ambition, she is also studying Sports Management.
Ambre spends 365 days a year on the water, making the ocean her second home. Deeply concerned by environmental issues, this champion shares our desire to make a difference.

Ambre Papazian – Windsurfer

Amaury is an exceptional French bodyboarder. Born in Poitiers, he grew up on Reunion Island, where he discovered bodyboarding. His talent quickly earned him a string of titles.
Moz, as he is known on Réunion Island, is the first European rider to become a professional World Champion in 2010, with a double in 2014.
Based in the Canary Islands, the two-time world champion took a break from the world circuit from 2018 to develop Amaury Academy, to teach his passion for bodyboarding and the ocean, across the globe.
Amaury remains determined to win a 3rd World Champion title and wants to turn this sporting project into a strong human mission by committing himself to Pure Ocean.
Amaury is an extraordinary sportsman, a true waterman, committed to a cause that is precious to him: protecting the ocean.

Amaury Lavernhe – Bodyboarder

Jean Pierre Dick is a French skipper and navigator who needs no introduction. Since the 90s, he has distinguished himself in ocean racing, winning the Barcelona World Race on 2 occasions, the Transat Jacques Vabre on 4 occasions and 4th in the Vendée Globe in 2013 and 2017.
An outstanding sailor, he was named “Sailor of the Year” in 2011.
A renowned ambassador, Jean Pierre Dick raced under the Pure Ocean colors in 2020 and 2021 during the St Pierre Lorient-Défi Pure Ocean route. These unique challenges enable symbolic records to be broken in aid of the Ocean. In 2022, he will attempt a new record in the Bermuda Lorient – Pure Ocean Challenge race!

Jean-Pierre Dick – Navigator

A multi-faceted sailor, Virgil has sailed on a variety of boats. First the RS:X, then the 49er during training at the Pôle France in Marseille. He then sailed professionally in various series, including Diam24, TP52 and Flying Phantom.
After these 2 years of global pandemic, the athlete wishes to return to his passion: sailing around the 69F. “Pleasure, Sharing and Transmission” will be its watchwords in 2022.
Virgil has decided to live his Olympic dream and wants to give meaning to his participation in the Olympics: “I want to make a difference in order to preserve the ocean, my playground. My dream is to win the Olympics, to sail every day and to enable other people to enjoy it as much as I do.”

Virgil Aubriot – Navigator

NatureWomen Challenge is the story of 4 extraordinary girls, united in a non-stop relay across the English Channel to the Mediterranean.
Géraldine, passionate about the ocean, is a professional scuba diver.
Barbara is passionate about outdoor activities: open-water swimming, mountain biking, trail running, triathlon – there’s no stopping her!
Emilie, the youngest member of the group, is a seasoned kitesurfer, passionate about the ocean and very close to nature. Emma, the Normandy girl in the group, is a sporting and professional challenge in her own right. In August 2020, the 4 Naturewomen completed their XXL triathlon between Dover and Marseille in just under 85 hours, relaying non-stop day and night! A total distance of 1,200km swum, cycled and run in aid of the Ocean

NatureWomen – Triathletes

At the age of 12, the Frenchman discovered canoeing thanks to his aunts and uncles. Quickly determined to excel in the slalom category, the French céiste quickly won the French downhill and slalom championships. Denis climbed the national and international ladder at an early age, prompting him to leave Marseille at the age of 18 and move to Pau, where the facilities and natural river were perfect for his development. Despite a double failure to qualify for the London Olympics in 2012, the Frenchman remains an outstanding competitor. Denis returned to training and changed coaches, until the 2016 Rio Olympics, where he was crowned Olympic champion in C1.
European champion in 2021, Denis wants to bring something new to the table. These changes involve a commitment to a cause that motivates him: protecting the ocean.

Denis Gargaud – Céiste

Fabio Gennari, a passionate amateur sailor from an early age, learned to sail at home in Marseille.

In 2018, alongside his work as an administrative judge, he trained for a year on the Class 40 circuit in La Trinité-sur-Mer before returning to train in Marseille with the aim of taking part in the next Route du Rhum – Destination Guadeloupe in 2022. For this solo race across the Atlantic, he has chosen to wear the Pure Ocean colors.

The boat will carry the name “Bella Donna – Race for Pure Ocean” in the Route du Rhum, it will feature the association’s colors on the hull and its mainsail will be built from recycled plastic. Fabio will encourage his supporters to contribute to Pure Ocean’s work.

Fabio Gennari – Navigator

A Finistère native by blood, Marie took her first steps by the ocean and quickly fell in love with the element. She took up sailing and became a top-level sportswoman with her sights set on the Olympic Games. It was with great pride that she represented France at the last Olympic Games in Tokyo in 2021, where she came 11th. With several French Champion titles and top 15 finishes at World Championships, she is one of the best in her category.
Marie is also an employment advisor, and is keen to share the values that high-level sport has instilled in her.
The sea is a source of well-being and soothing, and Marie wants to get involved in protecting this vital environment. She hopes to make as many people as possible aware of the need for more rational consumption and lifestyles.

Marie Bolou – Navigator

Arnaud Jerald is the rising star of freediving. Born in Marseilles in 1996, he grew up near the sea and made it his adventure ground. He discovered freediving with his father. Suffering from dyslexia, it was in the ocean and thanks to freediving that he found himself.
He entered competitions in 2017 and surprised the freediving world with three national records.
In 2019, he set a new world record in constant-weight twin fins, diving to a depth of 108 m.
He repeated his performance in September 2020, diving to 112m. In 2021, he set a new world record of -117 metres at the Vertical Blue in the Bahamas and won the world championship title in Turkey. He broke the August 2022 record twice, with a descent to 119m and one to 120m!

Arnaud Jerald – Freediving

Daughter of famous yachtsman Philippe Poupon, Morgane was born the same year her father won the Route du Rhum in 1986. Having grown up in Trinité, the young girl began to sail the ocean at an early age, accompanied by her father.

A great sailor, skipper and trainer, Morgane raced under the Pure Ocean colors in the 1st edition of the Route St Pierre Lorient. In addition to her sailing career, the Frenchwoman is a specialist in sustainable development, and enjoys observing nature and working to protect it.

Morgane Ursault-Poupon – Navigator

Skipper and sports journalist Sébastien Destremau is the first person from the Mediterranean to finish the Vendée Globe. In 2018, he finished second in the Route du Rhum, reinforcing his status as one of France’s great skippers.
Sébastien is a committed sailor who lives the race differently, at his own pace. His race is against the climate emergency and the destruction of biodiversity.
His motivation is not to win, but to discover and meet the ocean.
At the end of 2020, Sébastien set off on his 2nd Vendée Globe aboard his new boat “merci”, in the Pure Ocean colors, with the aim of sending a meaningful message. Following a technical withdrawal from the event, Sébastien and “merci” continue on their way to the Ocean.

Sébastien Destremau – Navigator

Join the Pure Ocean ambassador team!

Pure Ocean is looking for committed ambassadors in all the different water sports: kite foiling, sailing, freediving, scuba diving, swimming, surfing…

To support ocean research and your playground, join our team of ambassadors!

What does it to be a Pure Ocean ambassador?

  • Wear the colors of our foundation and support our projects
  • Protecting your playground
  • Talk about Pure Ocean and the causes the foundation supports
  • Being part of a committed team

What are the advantages of joining Pure Ocean?

  • Give meaning to your actions by wearing the colors of a committed foundation
  • Concrete progress for the ocean cause
  • Access to the Pure Ocean network of sponsors
  • Receive assistance in terms of global and scientific communication

What’s your role?

  • Communicate about Pure Ocean in your social networks
  • Raising awareness of marine biodiversity protection at your sporting events
  • Participate in pick-ups, conferences/webinars
  • Meet scientific project leaders
  • Fundraising
  • Organizing a Race for Pure Ocean

How does the partnership work?

  • 1-year renewable contract
  • Organizing the partnership around your sports schedule

Le Solenn for Pure Ocean, near the Iles du Frioul in Marseille

Interested in joining our team?

Don’t hesitate to apply by contacting Clément Pourtal, Race for Pure Ocean Project Manager, and introducing yourself, your sport and your relationship with the ocean!

mission@pure-ocean.org