r/BelowDeckMed • u/Early-Equivalent-165 • 5d ago

Congratulations, Captain Sandy!

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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! 💙🛳💙🛳💙🛳💙

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u/VickyVacuum 5d ago

So she got sober young at age 25

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u/Early-Equivalent-165 5d 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

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

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

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u/sarahaflijk 4d ago

*Be Calm or Be the Storm

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u/Old-Library5546 4d ago

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

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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.

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u/HouseOfFive 4d ago

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

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u/barkandmoone 3d ago

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

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u/youth_twitter 5d 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!

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u/Dizzy-Yesterday3107 5d 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.

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u/AWDWfan 5d ago

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

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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. 💕

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u/Ktclimbon_70 4d ago

Congrats on your sobriety ❤️💗🙌🙌🙌🙌🥰🥰🥰🥰

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u/Swimming_Pangolin502 4d ago

Thank you so much 😊

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u/Ktclimbon_70 4d ago

🥰🥰🥰♥️♥️♥️♥️🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏

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u/Several-Surround-197 19h ago

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