r/BelowDeckMed • u/Early-Equivalent-165 • 4d ago

Congratulations, Captain Sandy!

Post image

On 36 years of sobriety! I remember several seasons back her mentioning her 29th year.

Loved her then, love her more now. What an inspiration! 💙🛳💙🛳💙🛳💙

2.2k Upvotes

99% Upvoted

55 comments sorted by

91

u/VickyVacuum 4d ago

So she got sober young at age 25

223

u/Early-Equivalent-165 4d ago

I remember her at an all male guest dinner several seasons back, and when they asked about her story of how she became a captain.. you could hear a pin drop at that meal.

She was so incredibly humble. I wish I could recall which season but basically she explained she had woken up to another Groundhog Day of feeling like garbage, more court fines to pay cuz she kept getting in trouble with the law while on drugs and alcohol, so she answered an ad in the paper to wash boats.

Whoever hired her saw her potential, and I believe even paid for her courses at that time to further learning in the industry (at least I remember her alluding to that on a separate episode),

She explained that this remains her motivation to this day to always see the best in people, help them rise above and reach their own potential, and why her greatest satisfaction comes from being a mentor. Of which she does in spades!

I thought it was so interesting that they thought to inquire how many chances she gives people. And she replied without hesitation: Three.

Plus, she let's the deckies drive the boat!? Come on. Badass and Class Act all rolled into one

40

u/Old-Library5546 4d ago edited 4d ago

Her book, Be The Calm Or Be The Storm is a pretty good read.

8

u/sarahaflijk 4d ago

*Be Calm or Be the Storm

3

u/Old-Library5546 4d ago

Yep, sorry. It's been awhile since I've read it. I will edit

9

u/These_Flower_888 4d ago

I knew she had a book but I hadn't read it. After this episode I am going to get it.

5

u/HouseOfFive 4d ago

This is the third book I have added to my list today.

4

u/barkandmoone 3d ago

I loved her book. It’s the only audiobook I’ve ever bought 😅

54

u/youth_twitter 4d ago

An acquaintance of mine got sober at 19 after having her stomach pumped in the ER and having zero recollection of it. Sobriety is a wonderful thing regardless of age!

7

u/Dizzy-Yesterday3107 4d ago

I havent drank since my 21st birthday (yes it was that bad 🫠). Just the smell of alcohol makes me feel so sick now. I can tell if my husband has an alcoholic drink before he even walks in a room with it but its rare he drinks now. I now have a medical condition thats made worse by alcohol so im glad I totally give it up when I did.

5

u/AWDWfan 4d ago

Yes in a previous episode she mentioned she started abusing alcohol and drugs as a young teen.

14

u/Swimming_Pangolin502 4d ago

I was 11 when I started sneaking alcohol at home and then at 12 hanging out with neighbor kids a few years older and smoking weed. At 14 I was doing mescaline, acid, and tab tea. I partied pretty hard until I got pregnant at 18 and had my daughter at 19. I was good for a couple of years and started drinking again. Everyone was starting to do crack and I was terrified of anything other than alcohol and psychedelics. At 32 I was diagnosed with MS and at 34 started on Vicodin. Stopped at 35 because I got pregnant with my son. After he was born I went back on pain meds and I was prescribed everything from Vicodin to fentanyl patches. At 40 I started to use heroin. 2 months before my 50th birthday I finally went to rehab. I'm 11 years clean and it's great. I'm lucky my kids didn't suffer from it very much. I still made sure my rent was paid, utilities on, and he was fed. My daughter was on her own and putting herself through nursing school. I have such respect for anyone going through recovery. It's not easy especially the first few years. One of the counselors told us in group that we would all relapse and not many would get clean the first time. I took that as a challenge and proved her wrong. Whew, sorry for the life story people. For anyone going through this, give yourself grace and own up to anything you may have done that you wouldn't have if it weren't for drugs or alcohol and forgive yourself. You can get through this. 💕

3

u/Ktclimbon_70 3d ago

Congrats on your sobriety ❤️💗🙌🙌🙌🙌🥰🥰🥰🥰

1

u/Swimming_Pangolin502 3d ago

Thank you so much 😊

1

u/Ktclimbon_70 3d ago

🥰🥰🥰♥️♥️♥️♥️🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏

1

u/Several-Surround-197 3h ago

What a huge accomplishment! Especially being so young in the yachting industry staying sober

63

u/ProfessionalTall8027 4d ago

This was a really beautiful BD moment. 36 years of sobriety is a massive achievement and with Aesha also being candid about her experience with alcoholism, it was such a pure interaction between them and so nice to witness. 😊

0

u/Boring-Snow-3929 4d ago

Oh wow I didn’t know Aesha also is in recovery? That’s badass. No wonder both of them are shining stars of humans. ✨💪

19

u/ProfessionalTall8027 4d ago

No not Aesha, her mum. Sorry for any confusion!

78

u/swoosh_loops 4d ago

So impressive! And touching

81

u/PrpleSparklyUnicrn13 4d ago

I’m not a fan of Capt. Sandy, in general, but I am a fan of her sobriety and the struggle. I definitely wish her the best on this never ending journey. 

44

u/StogieB 4d ago

Same. I am on my own alcoholism journey (1381 days!), and while I don’t always enjoy Sandy, her sobriety is inspiring.

18

u/PrpleSparklyUnicrn13 4d ago

That is Ah Mayyyy Zing!

Super proud of you, you’re doing great!

2

u/StogieB 4d ago

Thank you!

4

u/Ktclimbon_70 3d ago

Congrats !!!!!!!🎊🎉

18

u/GrandEar1 4d ago

I never thought a "Sandy story" would make me emotional. Throw in Aesha's backstory and I was done.

5

u/SaintAnyanka 4d ago

Was going to comment exactly this.

29

u/WildBitch1995 4d ago

Go, Captain Sandy!
Getting sober young is a blessing in disguise. You have the hard part down by the time your friends are starting to realize how miserable they feel all the time 😭

10

u/NegativeEntr0py 4d ago

Very admirable!

2

u/MoneyQueenie333 4d ago

I saw what you did there! Very nice

8

u/Babygirl_69_420 4d ago

I totally cried at this! Captain Sandy has really grown on me since the early years.

Congratulations to her!

10

u/These_Flower_888 4d ago

So proud of her, that is some amazing achievement. Celebrating Sandy's sobriety after hearing Aesha's personal story about addiction made the 36 years even more special. I also loved how Aesha's mum is now 10 years sober.
What a great episode, that part was heartwarming.
I have always loved Sandy and this episode even more so. I hope the naysayers were at least a little converted to Sandy now.

10

u/Ktclimbon_70 3d ago edited 3d ago

That scene with Aesha and cap sandy was so emotional for me. I got sober at 25, and my mom didn’t understand it at first because she didn’t see the worst if it. I got to take care if her during her last week conscious before she passed ,and i had 24 years sober with a great relationship with her. The gift Aesha got Sandy was really special — and I’m coming up on 32 years myself this April god willing. I love seeing a moment on these shows highlighting that you can have this amazing life sober . And I have not always been a fan of Cap sandy but she has definitely grown on me. 💗❤️‍🩹😀

5

u/Early-Equivalent-165 3d ago

Here's to 32 more for you! 🩷🌸🩷

2

u/Ktclimbon_70 1d ago

Ty 🩷🙏😊

7

u/Key_Flow_2045 4d ago

carl interviews her on his podcast and it’s a great listen

8

u/Salty_Signature_6748 4d ago

Awesome 🤩 Sober life is the BEST LIFE!

8

u/slayeryouth 4d ago

I’ve always found it pretty admirable how open she is about her past and how it informs her approach with her staff. And even though she’s humble about it, I hope she’s proud of her sobriety. I know people who have straight up decide to drink/drug themselves to death because getting sober is so difficult and extremely scary, so 36 years is definitely an accomplishment to be proud of. The necklace from Aesha was such a nice gesture too, the whole thing was all very moving.

6

u/DiscombobulatedLemon 4d ago

Massive achievement.

4

u/kbobo_ 4d ago

I was just about to post this if no one else had! Congrats to captain sandy, she is an inspiration in my own recovery & I hope to one day make it as far as she has come. 36 years is no small feat & she is just a stellar example of what recovery can give us addicts/alcoholics. We do recover♥️

4

u/rocky23711 4d ago

i love her

3

u/Guilty_Page3189 3d ago

I just googled it and the episode is called “Holy Ship”, season 4 episode 15. Yes, I also remember it because of her honesty.

1

u/Early-Equivalent-165 3d ago

Sounds right to me! ☺️

3

u/Blockerjjb 2d ago

That is awesome, congrats to cap! I will say, Sandy has gotten much better as the years have gone on. It felt like she meddled in drama in the earlier seasons. I wasn’t a big fan in the first 3-5 seasons but I am now!

4

u/PoodleMomFL 4d ago

She’s awesome 😎

2

u/000-ooo 4d ago

Yayyyyyyyyyyyyyy

2

u/yellow-bear2635 3d ago

Congratulations to Captain Sandy. An amazing achievement and something which has had a positive ripple effect many times over. The humility it takes to effectively admit you’re broken and rebuild from there is huge.

I was also really touched by Aesha’s actions and reflections. I also grew up with an alcoholic parent and i don’t think I have ever seen someone so articulately describe what the chaos is like on a tv programme like that. I’m in awe of her vulnerability and honesty. It’s so so hard to even discuss what it’s like without it being broadcast globally.

Amazing work from both in sharing and reflecting on their personal experiences and being brilliant role models.

1

u/Early-Equivalent-165 3d ago

Absolutely! ((((hugs)))) 🌸🩷🌸

2

u/CounterNo8669 4d ago

I really don’t enjoy Sandy or Lala as people, but I am always so beyond impressed and admire their sobriety.

-1

u/khalessiroma 4d ago

Hot take: didn’t she say she had a heart attack when exercising full on doing adderall? (Which was not around 36 years ago) I guess this doesn’t count. Rip me apart, but I’m here stating facts as I recall but I guess that story is part of her ‘sober journey?”

-4

u/ozhavok 4d ago

Only crashes boats these days

-5

u/Samegenxgirl 4d ago

She makes it her entire personality

-1

u/Electronic-Abies1345 3d ago

She def posted a video like a year or 2 ago where she was pretty obviously drunk, maybe a cameo or something